Understanding Steven
by Kidcomfy
Summary: Final chapter...story is complete.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Third Watch. The characters you've never heard of...(sigh)...those are mine.   
  
Author's Note: This story delves into the character of Steve Gusler. He is deeper than he appears on the real show. This takes place after "Superheroes"...in fact, let's say it happened between seasons 3 and 4. There are references to, and characters from a fan-fic I wrote called "Retribution", but it is not necessary to have read it to understand this story. If you read this...please review and tell me what you think.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter One~  
  
Sergeant Christopher sticks his head in the locker room and yells, "Roll call in five minutes."   
  
Steven Gusler places his hat on his head, and stepping in front of the mirror he straightens it. He polishes his badge with his sleeve, picks a piece of lint off his shirt and steps out the door. As he walks past the front desk, officer Boscorelli comes running in the door, nearly colliding with him. He grabs Steve by the shirt yelling "Get out of the way...I'm late.", pulls him to the right, and shoves him backwards onto a bench.  
  
'Boscorelli...you arrogant asshole...You've pushed me around once too many times. You put your hands on me before, now you've put your hands on me again. The next time you do...you obnoxious prick...I'm gonna rip your fucking arm off, and beat your face in with it!'   
  
If only he had the balls to say it to Bosco's face. Gusler is sure that if he actually said it...said it just like that...Bosco would be stunned, and he would back down from him, realizing that he had pushed him too far. He'd see how mad Steve was, and maybe even be a bit scared.. And he'd never mess with him again.   
  
But then...he might not. He might just laugh at him, seizing the opportunity once again to make a fool of him. He might even get mad. That would be even worse than being laughed at...getting his ass kicked in front of everyone.  
  
Christ...Bosco is late again...he's always late. Why doesn't Christopher do something about it. He is big enough physically and rank wise to do something. Oh, how he would love to hear those words..."Boscorelli...you're fired." Not so cool now, huh hot shot?   
  
Steve goes into the debriefing room and takes the seat he always takes, second seat from the front, last row to the right. He is still brooding about Bosco. And why shouldn't he. Bosco struts around like he is this great cop, keeper of the peace, savior of the underdog. But that is Steve's badge to wear. He is truly the underdog...has been all his life. In school, at the academy, and now here. And he joined the force to move up from the ranks of underdog, and to help those he left behind.   
  
Bosco is the epitome of a bully. He's a bigot, hating every nationality, every religion... everyone...insulting and pushing everyone around that he gets near. The only one who can tolerate him is Faith. And that's because she is a saint. Steve knows. Does Bosco think he is her only partner? Well Steve has ridden with her plenty of times, and she is too good to be stuck with him every day. But she would never complain. That's how good she is.  
  
Someday...Bosco is going to get his, and maybe...just maybe...the powers that be, will let Steve be there to see it. Hell...for all the shit that Steve's been through...life owes him that much.  
  
Lieu takes roll call and then debriefs the officers, and the last thing he adds, is for Gusler to see him in his office afterwards. Steve usually leaves after everyone else, but today he has been called up. He hurries to the door, and gets tangled in a forest of officers, most of them towering over him. His badge gets caught on Davis' holster, and his shirt tears.   
  
He stumbles through the door and heads to the locker room to change his shirt, but thinks better of it. He shouldn't keep the Lieutenant waiting. He pins the tear with his badge, and heads over to Lieu's office.  
  
Gusler looks in the open door. Lieu is busy writing, so Gusler waits. Six or seven minutes go by and Gusler finally clears his throat to get Lieu's attention.  
  
"Steve, I've been waiting...come in."  
  
"Should I close the door?"  
  
"If you'd like...it's not necessary."  
  
He starts to close it, then says, "Oh...ok then I'll just leave it open."   
  
He walks in looking around nervously, and steps up to the desk. "Take a seat." Lieu offers.  
  
Noticing that there is a chair next to the desk and another directly in front of it, he asks, "Ah...which one?"   
  
"Any one." Lieu says a little patronizing.   
  
"Ok...I'll just sit here then." He chooses the one in front of the desk and sits on the edge.  
  
Lieu watches him, thinking, he looks as though he is ready to bolt and run if any danger should arise. Biting back a grin, he asks, "So how are you Steve? Everything going ok?"  
  
"Yah...I'm good I guess." He makes eye contact only in quick glances.  
  
"So how do you like being a sketch artist for the precinct? That must be interesting." Lieu finds himself talking to him in a very gentle tone.   
  
"It's ok. Not very exciting."  
  
"Well...I asked to see you because I wanted to know if you'd be interested in going back on patrol for a little while. Temporarily."  
  
"Why...does Yokas need a partner again?"  
  
"Yokas? No she's still riding with Bosco."  
  
"Oh. I thought maybe he was going to ACU again...you know...like before when Yokas needed a temporary partner."  
  
"No...do you like riding with Yokas?"  
  
"Oh yah...she's great. I mean, you know, a great cop. I don't know how she got stuck with a partner like Boscorelli."   
  
"You don't like Bosco?"  
  
Gusler reprimands himself mentally. 'Stupid...stupid...don't insult his golden boy.'   
  
"Oh it's not that. It's just that he's so...uh...angry all the time. And Faith is so kind. I don't know how she puts up with him. She has a lot of patience."  
  
"She's said some nice things about you too."  
  
He sits up straight in the chair. "She has?"  
  
"Yah. In your rookie review...when you rode with her."  
  
"Oh yah...the review. Right."  
  
"Anyway Steve...do you know Dale Martin?"  
  
"I've heard of him. His partner was the cop that was killed by that cop killer."  
  
"Right, Maria Lucas. Dale comes back from personal leave tomorrow, and I need someone to partner with him. It's temporary for now. I want to ease him back into the job, so you two will be working traffic control for the 'concert in the park' week. That sound ok to you?"  
  
"Sure...where ever I'm needed."   
  
"Ok then...I'll introduce you tomorrow." He looks back down to his paper work, but realizes Gusler didn't get up to leave. "Something else Steve?"  
  
"You didn't dismiss me."  
  
"Oh...well...you can go now."  
  
Gusler gets up and salutes him, and when he does, the tear in his shirt falls open and his badge flips down and falls off. He grabs it quickly and holds it up to his chest as he leaves the room.  
  
**** 


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews so far. This chapter is a sad peek into Steve's past, growing up with kids that can be cruel. ...(something I personally can relate to) I hope you get something out of this...whichever type of kid you were in school.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Two~  
  
Steve changes his shirt and goes to work behind the control desk, where he's been stationed for the past year and a half, except for the time he got to ride with Faith and on the rare occasion when they ask him to do a sketch. His job has been answering phones and filing reports that the other officers fill out. Tomorrow, he will be filling them out himself. Tomorrow he will have his own partner.   
  
He loves the very essence of the word...Partner. It could mean girlfriend, wife, soul mate, buddy, friend, "best" friend...a partner. All of these things, he's never had...and always wanted.   
  
Steve is the only child of Stanley and Stella Gusler. For the first nine years of their marriage, the Guslers tried desperately to have a baby. But because of Stanley's low sperm count, it just never happened. The couple resigned to the idea of adoption instead. After another two and a half years of waiting, their name came up on the list and then...Stella found out that she was pregnant. Pregnant with what she called her 'miracle baby'.  
  
Stella took extra measures during her pregnancy, to ensure that there would be no complications. They bought and read every pre-natal care book there was, and followed them to the letter. She spent the last four months of her term in bed, being waited on diligently by her dutiful husband.   
  
Even so, Steven Stanley Gusler, was born three weeks early and with a low birth weight. Stella watched over him cautiously from those first moments of his life until the day he announced that he was entering the academy. That announcement just about killed her. He remembers so clearly the day he told her, the day he made his first decision on his own, without her input.  
  
She tried every ploy to talk him out of it. "That is absolutely out of the question...(Matronly) That job is too dangerous for you...(Through tears) You are not brave enough or strong enough to be a policeman...(Angrily) I forbid it...(Forcefully) Do you hear me Steven? I forbid it."  
  
"Did you hear me Steve?"  
  
Gusler looked up from his memory to find Faith standing at the control desk.  
  
"Is everything ok?" She can see that he is deep in thought.  
  
"Yah...everything is great. I was just thinken about what the Lieutenant told me. You know when he called me into his office." He drops a hint for her to ask him about it.  
  
"You didn't get yourself into any trouble did ya?" She asks in a teasing way.  
  
"No...Lieu wanted to ask me something...he needs my help."  
  
"Ahh...well...that's good for you, huh? So...can I have the accident sheets I asked for?"  
  
"Oh...sure." As he searches for them under the counter, he tries to tell her his good news, but Bosco walks up and interrupts. Asshole...always in Steve's way when he tries to talk to Faith. Like he owns her.  
  
"Faith...get another ticket book too. And don't stand around talking, I'm gonna be waiting for you in the car."  
  
Gusler gives her the supplies she needs and then says, "So do you wanna know what the Lieutenant told me?"  
  
"Can ya tell me later Steve? You heard him...Bosco's waiting. Later...when I get back to the house you can tell me...ok?"  
  
"Oh you bet. We'll talk when you get back then."  
  
Through out the day, he listened intently to the police dispatch, waiting to hear that 55 David was coming back to the house.   
  
********  
  
It was a few hours into the shift when a pair of detectives came back to the precinct and told the Lieutenant that they heard a news bulletin about another shooting at a school somewhere in the mid west. Lieu and the men hurried into the debriefing room and turned the TV on to CNN. Steve followed them in and watched from behind the men, as the anchor man repeated the story in a stone somber voice over live Aerial footage of the school, surrounded by emergency vehicles.   
  
"...to repeat the breaking news...thirteen are believed dead and another nine seriously hurt today in Corey Hill Wisconsin when two gunmen opened fire on the high school football team while they practiced on the field. Lets switch back to Leslie who is live on the scene...Leslie...what else can you tell us?"  
  
"Thank you Dan...the police have taken two boys into custody a short while ago. The boys are believed to be students of this school. One boy 'laid in wait' in the bleachers, as the team practiced on the field. He then opened fire on the them. The unofficial count from the first gunman is sixteen boys...shot, as they tried to run to safety. The second gunman was waiting in the locker room in ambush, and he also opened fire on the team as they tried to get inside the building for cover. It is believed that the second boy shot an additional six people. The coach is believed to be among the fatally wounded...Dan..."  
  
"Thank you Leslie...we're going to switch now to the footage taken just a few moments ago, of the police bringing the boys into custody..."  
  
The TV shows a shaky picture of the police escorting two young boys in handcuffs, to a waiting police car. Both boys are short and thin, one wearing glasses and the other with red hair and braces. Microphones are being shoved in their faces and reporters are screaming questions as the police push them away. They looked to be about only twelve years old. Neither boy looks regretful.  
  
"What the hell would make a couple of kids do that?" one of the detectives says.  
  
"Bullies." Gusler answers quietly behind him.  
  
All three men turned to look at Steve, unaware that he was even in the room.  
  
"They didn't look like bullies." The detective said turning back to the screen.  
  
Gusler didn't bother to explain that he was referring to the victims. He was sure that it would be inconceivable to him, with his linebacker build, that the football players had most likely provoked the attack in the first place.  
  
Steve can understand. Not that he believes in what they did, but he can picture those two boys, with their twelve year old physiques, trying to take gym class with those huge football players. He can imagine the wedgies in the locker room. The unconscionable attacks in the shower...scrubbing them with scruff pads until the skin was raw, being locked in the locker, or having half the class hold them down while the biggest of them put his used jock over the boys faces.   
  
Steve can picture the attacks in the cafeteria, pants-ing them in front of everyone. Flushing their heads in the urinal in the boy's bathroom. Pissing on the boy's books through the vents in their lockers. Frightening them to tears in the schoolyard. Hanging them out the second story window in the science lab...making their high school years a living hell of fear and humiliation. He could understand them...what he didn't understand was where did they find guns to carry out their act of revenge. That's what Steve couldn't figure out.  
  
*****[An hour later]*****  
  
Steve finally heard what he had been waiting to hear for hours. 55 David was on their way back to the house having apprehended a couple of perps. Steve waits anxiously for their arrival. About fifteen minutes later Steve sees Bosco walk in with a young man in handcuffs. Faith is right behind him, with a second guy, and she is covered head to toe in a white powder.   
  
"What the hell happened to you?" The Lieutenant asks with a smile.  
  
"I chased the wrong idiot." She barks at him.  
  
Bosco, grinning from ear to ear, fills them in. "We see these two geniuses smoken weed in an alleyway. So we walk towards them. The minute they see us they both take off runnen. One guy runs down the alley...I chase him...and the second guy goes in a door...Faith chases him. The next time I see her, she is covered with this white shit, and madder than hell." He starts laughing and can hardly continue. "Man...it was in her face, in her hair...I made her clean up a little before I would let her get back in the car."  
  
"Well...what the hell is it?" The Lieutenant asks, now laughing himself.  
  
"Fire extinguisher...the bastard ambushed me with a fire extinguisher!" Her voice rises as she gets mad all over again. "But he didn't just blast and run...I fell when he hosed me, and before I could get up, he emptied it out on me. I must have inhaled a ton of it." Everyone is laughing now. She grabs the kid by the hair. "You think this is funny? This is assault on an officer you moron. When I get done with this report, you'll need Johnny Cochran to get you out."   
  
Bosco grabs both guys. "I'll take them both back to lock up... before my partner kills you." He grabs the one kid by the back of the neck. "You'll be lucky to get out by Christmas of two thousand ten."   
  
"I have to go shower...get this chemical off of me." She walks away leaving Gusler standing there. She forgot that she promised to hear his story, and after she gets cleaned up, her and Bosco go back on patrol. Steve, disappointed, watches her leave.   
  
*****[The end of the shift]*****  
  
Steve walks into the locker room and finds all the officers standing together talking. Faith is combing her hair in the mirror and Sully is sitting on a bench facing her. Davis is standing next to him and Bosco has just walked up and joined the group, suggesting that they all go out for some cool down before they go home. Faith turns away from the mirror, facing the group and Sully stands up, completing the circle. Davis says he'd like to get something to eat, and they are all discussing where they should go.   
  
Gusler usually waits until the other officers are through in the locker room before he goes in to change...a habit he started in high school. He thought they had all left, and when he walks in and sees them, he feels this sudden uneasiness for having walked into their discussion. His first thought was to turn and run back out. He feels this weird embarrassment, like he just walked into the ladies room by mistake. Then he decides, no...he belongs here just as much as they do, and tomorrow he may even be part of this little band of partners.   
  
As he walks around them to get to his locker, he half expects...hopes...one of them will ask if he'd like to join them. But they don't. Neither of them acknowledge him. He glances back at them but quickly turns his attention to his locker pretending to be very busy getting changed...pretending that he doesn't notice them there. He has a sudden pang of 'Da ja vous'.  
  
A memory drifts into his mind that he'd nearly forgotten. Four of his friends all standing in a circle on the playground playing catch while he stood to the side, glancing at them and quickly looking away, too intent on what he was doing to be able join them in their game.  
  
He was in the first grade. They were seated five children to a table, and the teacher had them doing a spelling exercise. They each had a paper with lists of words, and the kids had to circle all the words that were spelled wrong. And the teacher said that as each table finished the exercise, they could go out to the playground early for recess.  
  
Steve and his mother, had always been very proud of his spelling ability. Steve hurried through the words quickly, and was done. But the other kids at his table were talking and playing around. So he pointed out to them that he was done, hoping to encourage them to go faster. But mostly, he thought, they would all think he was really smart. And he really wished to impress them. They were the ones all the other kids liked the most.   
  
He got his wish when Michelle asked if he would do her paper for her. He was so excited. Michelle wanted his help...and he came to her rescue. He switched papers with her and finished it up. Then John asked too, and soon he had done all of their papers and his group got to go out to the playground. They told him to hand in the papers to the teacher, while they went to the closet to get a kick ball for recess. He proudly went to the teachers desk. He felt important. And he just made some very important friends.  
  
He went to join them outside, since they weren't waiting for him at the equipment closet. He looked out on the playground and they were nowhere to be found. They were not on the kick ball field. Not near the swings or by the girls playing jump rope. Steve walked through all the groups of children playing together, feeling a little embarrassed that he had lost his friends. It looked like he would spend another recess alone, watching the others play.  
  
He walked towards the end of the building, and just briefly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone peek around a doorway, then duck back out of sight. He wandered slowly towards the door and as he approached he heard whispering. He smiled and stepped in front of the opening, and sure enough there they all were. His group...his new friends.   
  
He was so excited to be playing with these kids, especially Michelle. Steve thought she was cute. She had long dirty blonde hair, that he described as the color of gold and her big brown eyes were even prettier than his mom's. Her last name was Feathers, and Steve thought that name was perfect for her. When she would get on the swings, her hair would blow back, looking like wings on a beautiful, gold bird. He had been wanting to be her friend, and now...like a dream come true... he finally is.   
  
Marty was liked by all the other kids too. He was really good at kickball and baseball. He was also really fast. He always got picked first when they were making teams. And here he is...Steven Gusler... playing with Marty and Michelle. This is the best day of his life. Maybe tomorrow he will not be picked last...maybe he will be picked to be on his friend Marty's team.  
  
They stepped out into the school yard, and Michelle tossed the big red ball to...Brad? Was that his name...? Who cares. He tossed the ball to Marty who never misses, and Marty throws to John, and he tosses back to Michelle. Steve is beaming. He has already decided that when he gets the ball, he is going to throw it to Michelle. And she will see that he is just as good as Marty. And maybe she will even throw it back to him.  
  
He waits...holding his hands out, because it is really important that he catch it like Marty always does. He waits...as they toss it all around the circle...to each other.   
  
"Throw me one." He says, holding his hands up anxiously. He can't contain his happiness. He is sporting a smile so big he can feel it in his ears.  
  
But they don't throw it to him. They giggle as they continue tossing the ball around their circle.  
  
"I didn't get one yet." His eyes brimming with anticipation. "Throw it here."  
  
But they still don't throw it to him.   
  
He steps towards the center and after a while, he tries to catch it when they throw it to Marty. They start throwing it higher so it's just out of his reach. Steve jumps as high as he can, his smile has turned into a nervous grin, as he pretends to be enjoying this game of keep away. But he hates it and he is starting to look a little silly. But at least he is playing with them. They never let him play before.  
  
Suddenly Michelle stops the game, tucking the ball between her arm and her hip. Using the same tone that the teacher uses when she catches someone eating the paste, Michelle scolds him. "We don't want to play with you. Don't you get it? Now go and play somewhere else."  
  
"But..." was all that he could say, as his face squeezed into a look of shock and sadness. He was crushed. Then his lip started quivering. Her words hit him like a fist, making his chest feel tight. He looked to each of the boys, hoping someone would stick up for him and tell her she was being mean. But they were all grinning. He felt the sting of being shunned. He wanted to cry but he didn't want them to see how bad he felt...so he didn't cry. And he didn't leave. He just stepped back to his spot in the circle, enduring the humiliation.   
  
He took a quick look over his shoulder to see if anyone had heard those words she spoke. He felt ashamed of himself. Looking down at the ground, he began nudging a stick with his toe, and pretended that he was doing something important with it. Pretended that it was more important to him, than playing catch with them. And he blinked quickly to keep the tears from coming out and revealing his hurt.  
  
He would roll his eyes up occasionally to sneak a peek at them. He kept hoping that it was just another game and any minute now they would tell him they were kidding. And he hoped with all of his heart that no one else could see his disappointment when they didn't.  
  
After a while, Brad...or what ever the hell his name was, said, "I don't know why you're still standing there. We're just gonna ignore you."  
  
"That's right. You should just leave." Michelle adds snidely. "Go play with someone else!" And then she missed the ball.   
  
It bounced behind her and Steve ran as fast as he could, and got to it first. He picked it up and started to run. He didn't even look back, but he could hear them chattering complaints behind him as he ran. And as he ran, he actually hoped that they would run after him so it would look to everyone else, like they were playing with him. But they didn't. They would rather give up the ball than play with him.   
  
Steve took the ball inside the empty classroom and hid in the equipment closet. He took a pencil and stabbed the ball with it. He squeezed the ball as hard as he could to let the air out of it. He squeezed until his arms shook, and the ball was just a rubber wad in his hands. Steve finally cried. Sitting all alone there in the dark closet where nobody could see him.  
  
"Steve?"  
  
"Huh?" He looked up out of his trance to see that all the officers were looking at him.  
  
Then Bosco said, "Well?"  
  
"Umm, I really should get right home." Steve says shyly.  
  
"Who the hell cares?" Bosco says in his smart ass way. "We said goodnight."   
  
Steve just stared for a second, totally embarrassed...once again...and didn't know what to say now. He hadn't heard what they said to him, and he assumed that they had invited him to go out with them...and obviously they didn't.   
  
But that is ok...because he had already promised himself, that day on the playground, that he would never be suckered again into believing that people were his friends when he knew damn well they were not. He had already planned to decline the invite, but something inside of him, still wished to be included. And again, that feeling came back to him, all the way from that playground years ago, and he felt the pang of humiliation.  
  
Faith bailed him out. "Are you sure you have to go right home? Why don't you come and have just one with us Steve?" She said it as sincere as she could, and slapped Bosco on the shoulder when he tried to voice his disapproval.  
  
"No I can't. I gotta get home." And he wasn't sure, but he thought he heard them all laugh as they walked out.   
  
  
  
******** 


	3. Chapter Three

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is going to tie up some loose ends from the episodes "Superheroes" and "Thicker Than Water". It was kind of bugging me that some things were never explained on the show.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter three~  
  
[The next day]  
  
Today is the day. This could be the most important day of his life. Today could be his day of acceptance, after a lifetime of rejection. He got to work early and took his seat at roll call, waiting for his partner to arrive. He hoped that Dale martin was half as nice as Faith. He could live with that.  
  
The other officers start to filter in. Steve looks anxiously for Dale, not sure if he would recognize him or not. But then he walks in, and it was obvious that it was him, because all the others made a big fuss over him being back to work, slapping him on the back, welcoming him, saying it was good to see him again.   
  
This is great...he's so popular. Steve thinks that maybe he should also walk up and welcome him back...or introduce himself as his new partner...or maybe just stay back and act cool, and not let Martin see how excited he really is to be his partner. A feeling in the pit of his stomach reminded him not to get his hopes up.  
  
Lieu does roll call and announces where everyone will be stationed today. Steve watches Dale out of the corner of his eye, and notices a hint of sadness. But after all...this was his first day back without his partner. After everyone gets up to leave, Steve tries to approach Martin, who has walked up to talk to Lieu. Steve shyly steps up behind him and waits.  
  
"What the hell is going on Lieutenant? Traffic detail? I'm not coming back from a physical disability ya know." He is angry.  
  
"I know...but someone has to do it Dale. And being your first day back...I thought it best to make it an easy day."   
  
"So you want me to baby sit. You give me the biggest screw up..."  
  
Lieu cuts him off abruptly holding his hand out towards Steve. "Dale...have you met Steve Gusler...your partner for this week?"  
  
Dale turns quickly and then he softens his tone, obviously embarrassed. "Yah...I've heard all about him." Ignoring the fact that Steve held his hand out to shake, Martin adds "This is only temporary...right?"   
  
Lieu nods. "For now."   
  
********  
  
Gusler and Martin are in 55 Edward. "Should I call us in as a 10-98?" Steve asks, trying to show Martin that he knows what he's doing.  
  
"I don't really care." The response was sarcastic.  
  
"Did you do most of the driving...you know...before..." His voice trailed off. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up 'before'.  
  
"Look...I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk to you at all. So just sit there and be quiet. Read your police manual or something."  
  
Yup...he shouldn't have brought it up. Steve isn't sure that he is going to like riding with Martin, but he understands that the guy lost his partner and all. He probably just needs some time. He stares out the window and keeps quiet like he was instructed.  
  
After a few minutes, he unhooks his seat belt and starts twisting it tightly, then tries buckling it back up.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"It's a little trick Yokas taught me. You twist it up...makes it easier to get out of."  
  
Yokas...she is a sore spot with Martin. Not that he don't like her...but...she lived...Maria didn't. He couldn't put that thought aside. He couldn't look at her and not think of Maria. It was easier to just avoid her.  
  
"I don't want to hear pearls of wisdom from Faith Yokas...I don't want to hear from you at all. Just keep your mouth shut or I'll drop you off here! Understand?"  
  
********  
  
Bosco and Faith are on patrol in their RMP. They hear Gusler call 55 Edward in at their location at the park. "Poor Martin." Bosco says sympathetically.  
  
"Yah." She wonders how he is coping with the loss of his partner, and how Bosco would be doing if he were in the same situation...like he almost was. She doesn't want to think about it. The incident is still too painful for her, so she changes the subject. "Well, he's riding with Gusler...that should get his mind off everything else."  
  
"Gusler...is what I meant by poor Martin. Why would Lieu stick him with that idiot."   
  
"Don't call him that. He's a nice kid."  
  
"Oh c'mon Faith. Even you didn't want to be partners with him. You only rode with him out of pity, and the first chance you got, you dumped him."   
  
  
  
"I dumped him because w...I didn't dump him! You came back from leave and we partnered back up."  
  
"Oh please. Tell me that riden with him wasn't like teachen a kindergarten class. You ran back to me."   
  
"Yah...and I moved up a grade." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Damn right!" he said proudly, then his expression went cloudy as he thought about it. Was that a compliment?  
  
*****  
  
Martin pulls around the barricade in front of the park. Their job is to keep traffic from driving through the park during the 'concerts in the park' week.  
  
The city had come up with the idea to have live music throughout the park between the hours of four and ten p.m. for the whole week. The music consists of bands and solo performers, playing anywhere they felt like setting up. All the music is free. None of the performers are famous...it is strictly to promote local talent and to benefit the street venders. The guys that sell hot dogs and various fast foods and snacks from all different ethnic groups. It is a banquet of international delights from gyros to ice cream and cotton candy. The idea is to get people outside and into the park, and to make tourists feel that the park is safe.  
  
Steve thinks that if he had a girl friend, he would bring her here every night. It would be so romantic, walking arm in arm with music playing all around them, stopping for an occasional snack. By the end of the week they would have tried all the different foods there are to try, and heard all the different types of music.  
  
And when they found a band they liked...they would pick a song by that band to be 'their' song. And eventually he would propose to her during 'their' song and he would hire that band to play at their wedding. If only he had a girlfriend.   
  
"God I hate this shit!" Martin says, waking Steve out of his daydream. "They plan this crap for tourists, who are too afraid to go into the park in the first place. All it really does is bring out the nuts and weirdoes. Look at that freak blowing bubbles. And that psycho with the blue hair. Jesus this is going to be a shitty week."  
  
Steve is disappointed that Martin is so disgruntled. He could really be enjoying this duty if only Martin would lighten up and see the good in it. Faith would definitely enjoy this. But then again, Bosco would probably feel the same way Martin does. He would just ruin it for her too.   
  
Now if she and Steve were partnered...he can picture the two of them just strolling along through the crowd. She would be smiling and saying hi to people and he would be swinging his night stick like the old time cops used to do. And they would be chatting about all kinds of things, and it would be pleasant. And there wouldn't be any crime or violence in the park, just because of their presence. And that's how it should be.  
  
Steve sighs. "Shouldn't we be walking around...you know...to let people see us?"  
  
"Sure...let's go look for trouble...ya jerk." Martin paces back and forth between the blockades, bitching about the occasional driver that stops to ask why they can't drive through, or to ask for directions.  
  
Martin is really grouchy, but Steve understands. It is his first day back after being out a year. And he did loose his partner. Steve heard that they were very close. Martin reminds Steve of Chris, a friend Steve had a long time ago.   
  
They were around eight or nine years old. Chris had a really cool dog named Max. He was really smart and well trained. The boys would take Max to the park, wearing a blue bandanna around his neck, and he would chase Frisbees and do tricks. And when Max died, Chris was heart broken. He never got over the loss. Steve tried to spend more time with Chris to help him through, and maybe take the place of the dogs friendship, but Chris just got sadder and mean.   
  
He had the same mean streak...bitterness...that Steve sees in Martin. It has taken Martin a long time to get over the loss of his partner, and although it seems nasty, Steve thinks that his partner probably wouldn't have had that much trouble getter over the loss of Martin. Not with his attitude.  
  
But still...Steve hasn't given up on Martin...just like he didn't give up on Chris right away. They may still end up being friends, maybe best friends...like those mismatched partners do in the movies.  
  
"I can't stand this any more. I'm going around the corner to get some coffee...I'll be back in a while." Martin says walking away.  
  
"Hold up...I'll go with you." Steve says.  
  
"No! You stay here. Someone has to stay with the car and keep the traffic out of the park."  
  
"Oh...ok. Can you bring me back a bottle of pop?"  
  
"Yah...sure." Martin says. He exits the park and walks down about four blocks and enters 'Al's Bar and Grill'. There are only two guys in the place, that look as though they have been here forever. Martin takes a stool at the bar and orders a beer and a shot of whisky.  
  
The bar tender eyes him up cautiously.  
  
"Don't let the uniform throw ya. I'm off duty."   
  
"Don't care about the uniform...as long as there's money in the pockets."  
  
Martin throws forty bucks down on the bar and says, "Then just keep 'em comen until this is gone."  
  
Martin never drank on the job before. He would have the occasional beer at home and a few with the guys after work sometimes. But the whisky came after the death of Maria, his partner.  
  
He had met his partner, Maria Lucas, at the academy. She was a real pretty girl. Dark hair and big dark brown eyes. She had a perfect build and muscle tone. She was obviously athletic, and not in a competitive kind of way. She had a very friendly demeanor, that anybody...everybody, could get along with.  
  
All of the guys at the academy hit on her. All except Martin. He was already married, and very much in love with his wife. That's why he and Maria got along so well. He wanted nothing from her but to get through the training. And she was great at everything, from the physical stuff to the paper work.  
  
She wouldn't date any of the guys that tried to ask her out, so of course they started a rumor that she was gay. Martin brought her home for dinner to meet his wife, and the two women hit it off immediately. They became good friends. Martin's wife was never jealous of Maria, not that she ever had any reason to be, and when they graduated, it was a natural progression that the two would become partners. And Martins wife was actually glad about it. Maria was a great cop and she would keep Martin safe.  
  
Martin's wife always joked that Maria was Martin's other wife. And she is the one who eventually told Martin that Maria actually was gay. And Martin wasn't jealous either.  
  
They were partners for eight and a half years. Best friends, on and off duty. Maria helped him many times through marital problems and he helped her through the death of her father...the only guy closer to her than Martin. She had probably saved his life several times in situations that could have easily turned ugly, if not for her special ability to talk to people and defuse psychos that were ready to blow.  
  
That is what was so hard to accept, the fact that she was killed by a psycho. Maria had been abducted while on duty...while Martin was only a hundred yards away. He never saw it coming...never got to try and save her. That's what hurt the most. If he could have tried and failed...well he would feel he did something to try and save her...but she was taken and killed by a lunatic that was targeting female cops. She was the first of three that were killed, and Faith was the fourth taken, and the only one who was saved...but that is another story.  
  
Now, Martin has no passion for the job. It only reminds him of her. And no other partner could ever fill her shoes. Even a good cop, but this whinny, frightened, pathetic little weasel in uniform...Gusler...is an insult to her memory. He is an insult to the whole force.  
  
********  
  
When Martin first left, Steve started feeling better. His partner is off getting him a pop. Tomorrow, he will go on the drink run and buy for his partner. He thinks that this may just work out good after all. But a few hours later...  
  
Steve is pacing nervously around the park entrance. He keeps walking out and glancing up the street for Martin. He keeps looking at his watch, wondering if everything is ok. He's been gone a long time, and Steve is not used to being on patrol alone. The fear is mounting that a situation may arise and Steve won't know what to do.   
  
Two young men get into a shouting match and he does his best to ignore it until the men finally move on. He doesn't even admit to himself that he is scared...instead he says out loud... "Something must have happened to Martin. I'd better check in with him. Maybe he needs my help."   
  
Steve gets on the radio. "Martin this is Gusler...what's your location?"  
  
After two attempts, he gets no response. Now he don't know what to do. Should he call in that Martin is missing? Should he go look for him? He paces faster, but does nothing.  
  
About twenty minutes later he sees Martin walking towards him. Thank God! Martin approaches him briskly.  
  
"Where ya been? You didn't answer on..."  
  
Gusler gets cut off abruptly as Martin grabs his arm and walks him quickly behind a hedge row, the way a mother walks a child that has been misbehaving. As soon as they get out of view of the public, Martin smacks him in the head, knocking his hat off.   
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing calling me on the radio like that?"  
  
"I didn't know where you..."  
  
He is cut short again by another slap to the head. Gusler lifts his arm to protect his face and cringes away from another slap.  
  
"Is it too fucking hard for you to stop cars from entering the park?"  
  
Gusler is scared now. "I was thirsty. You were gonna bring me a pop and then..." His voice trails off.  
  
Martin stares at him with a piercing look. He sternly orders him to pick up his hat, then grabs him by the back of the neck and walks him down the footpath and over to a drinking fountain. "Here's your drink. Anything else you need me to do for you?" He barks, then pointing a finger in Steve's face he growls, "Don't you ever call me on the radio unless we are in a pursuit. Is that clear?"  
  
Gusler can smell the liquor on his breath but says nothing. He bends down and takes a drink, squeezing his eyes closed to keep the tears in. He keeps drinking until Martin walks away.   
  
********************   
  
Faith and Bosco are driving around talking. It is a slow night. Over the radio they hear Gusler call in and ask Martin for his location, twice.   
  
"Gusler sounds lost." Faith says.  
  
"Martin probably ditched him." He looks over at her. "Honestly Faith, do you really think that Gusler should be a cop?"  
  
"I think he has a lot of potential. You don't have to be a brute to do the job ya know. Most of the time it is better to do things in a gentle way."  
  
"Gentle?" Bosco scoffs. "A gentle cop. That's like saying...big little guy, or smart idiot. The two words don't go together."  
  
"Jumbo shrimp...sweet tart." She shoots back. "They go together."  
  
Bosco looks at her annoyed. "I can't believe they've kept him on the force. After he shot Ross..."  
  
"They never proved it was his round. Even if it was, friendly fire happens. That's nobody's fault."  
  
"It is if you just shoot without looking to see what else is in your line of fire. That's incompetence. I can't believe you are sticking up for him still. You just can't help mothering everyone."  
  
"He was my partner, Bos." She looks over at him for a moment, unsure of whether she should go on, but then she continues. "He took that shot...the one that killed Ross...for me."  
  
He turns to her, about to say she's full of shit, but he sees the pained look on her face. So instead he says, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I ran out from behind the RMP to lay down cover for you. I was firing at one gunman, the other turned and fixed on me. Gusler saw it. Ross must have too. The guy was in the center of their crossfire. As Gusler fired, the guy fell away and his round missed. Ross had shot him in the back but there was no way Gusler could have seen Ross until the guy was down. They both had fired...Ross hit him first...Gusler's round went over the gunman and hit Ross. That is how they think it happened, but they never could prove it. He was trying to save me...and he killed Ross instead."  
  
"Wow." Bosco says softly. "You never told me that."  
  
"They asked me at the investigation hearing if I thought Gusler was fit for duty."  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"He tried to save my life and they were gonna let him go. I figured that would destroy him. So I told them he was fit...he just needed more experience in the field and the right partner to teach him."  
  
"So they partnered him with you."   
  
"Yah...until you came back. I sort of feel responsible for him."   
  
Bosco looks away out the window. He believes it is stupid for her to still feel responsible for Gusler. He understands why she does, but he is not her responsibility...and not her partner any more. But he also knows he won't change her mind and he don't feel like getting into an argument over Gusler, so he doesn't say anything more. It pisses him off when she gets on these emotional tangents.   
  
"Ya know...Martin never responded to Steve. Ya think everything's alright?" She asks.  
  
"Yes! You're being ridiculous now."  
  
"Ya think we should drive over there?" She asks as she switches lanes.  
  
"NO! We're not going over there Faith." She slows down and signals to turn at the next corner. "Faith...don't. Just stay out of it."  
  
"We'll just cruise by."  
  
"Why can't you just mind your own business? You're not his mother."  
  
"We have nothing better to do anyway. I just wanna see how they are getting along that's all."  
  
She drives up in front of the park and pulls over. "I don't see them."  
  
"There they are. And they're together." Bosco points out.  
  
She follows his gaze and sees them walking to the fountain. Martin has Gusler by the back of the neck. "What the hell is he doing?"  
  
"It looks like they're clowning around. See they're getting along fine. Can we go now?"  
  
"Ya think so? It looks like Martin is yelling at him."  
  
"Faith...it's none of your business...what ever is going on. They are partners...they have to work out their differences. For once in your life...stay out of it."  
  
"Lets just walk over and say hello...see if everything..."  
  
"I don't want to say hello. Martin makes me uncomfortable. We probably make him feel that way too."  
  
She looks at him and drops her eyes. "You're probably right about that."  
  
"I am. And besides...if you go over there you'll embarrass Gusler. You wouldn't do that to Charlie on his first day of school, would you?" She looks away quickly. "You didn't!". "Yokas..." he says appalled, "...you did. You embarrassed Charlie on his first day of school."  
  
"I did not!" She says angrily. "Lots of mothers wouldn't leave after they dropped their kids off."  
  
Bosco gives a disgusted gasp.  
  
"Shut up...ok you win." She puts the car in gear and drives off.  
  
******** 


	4. Chapter Four

Author's Note: I want to thank lbm1141 and Faith in Faith for your reviews. And Thirdwatchfanatic...if you're still out there...the angst, drama and suspense is coming, maybe not in that order.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Four~  
  
The next day Faith arrives early and goes into the locker room to change. She finds Steve putting on his uniform, and when he sees her, he looks away nervously. She walks over towards him.  
  
At first he considered telling her about what had happened with Martin, but he was too ashamed. He thought about just telling her that Martin was drinking on the job, but that would only bring him trouble. He decided to say nothing. He will just try to get through the week, by not talking to or annoying Martin, then after the week is up he will request to go back to desk duty and making sketches.  
  
She leans against the locker next to his and says, "Hi Steve. How's it goen?"  
  
Without looking at her he says, "Oh...good I guess."  
  
"Are you glad to be back on patrol?"   
  
"Yah...sure." He continues staring at his locker.  
  
"Is everything ok? You seem distracted."  
  
"Yah. I'm ok." He is dying to open up to her but he knows it is best to say nothing. "I guess I'm just a little tired today."  
  
"How do you like working with Martin?" She moves a little closer so she can see his reaction.  
  
"Oh...he's ok. I don't really know him that well yet." He turns his eyes down to the floor.  
  
"Well, I'm sure he's a good guy. It may take him a while to get used to the idea of having a new partner. Ya know?" She stares intently at him.  
  
He can feel her stare. She knows that something is wrong...her instincts are good. He knows he has to give her something or she will keep pressing him. "I know. He's a little distant. I'm just giving him some room."  
  
"Yah, that's good." She watches him for a minute longer, then says, "Well...you be careful out there Steve. And if you have any trouble...you just call for backup. We're all just a call away."  
  
Just then Martin walks in, and when he notices the two of them talking, he glares at them and walks over. "What's going on?" He asks as he leans in close to Gusler.  
  
"I was just asken Steve how he likes being back on patrol." Faith offers.  
  
He doesn't look at her at all. Staring at Gusler, he slaps him on the back. "He likes it just fine...Don't ya Stevie?"  
  
Steve looks up at Martin and says, "Yah...just fine." Then he looks at Faith and says, "I gotta hit the men's room before I get dressed...excuse me." and he walks away from them.  
  
She says to Martin, "So how are you doing? Getting back in the swing of things?"  
  
Sarcastically he answers, "Not hardly. Didn't you notice? I'm babysitting and directing traffic. Apparently the Lieutenant thinks I'm not ready for real police work. How about you...looks like you got over your near death experience."  
  
"Yah...for the most part. I still have nightmares sometimes." She looks down at the floor and says, "Look...I ah...I never got to say...you know...how bad I felt about what happened to Maria."  
  
"I know...you didn't go to any of the funerals." Then he turns and walks away from her.  
  
The statement stung like a slap in the face. It never dawned on her that she didn't go to the funerals. She was in the hospital when all of the funerals took place, and it's not like she was able to go to any of them, but she suddenly feels heavy with guilt. And she wonders if the other officers resent her the way Martin does.   
  
Boscorelli hurries into the locker room, and when he notices her standing there, he starts bitching to her about the drivers in New York. "They're all morons. The only thing worse than their driving, is their ability to speak English. I swear, they should have a fast lane, a slow lane and the moron lane. If they..." Then he realizes that she looks upset. "What's wrong?"  
  
She looks over at him and blinks like she didn't even notice he had walked in. "What?"  
  
"I said what's wrong?"   
  
She shakes her head, "Nothing."  
  
"You look upset. What were you doing?"  
  
"Nothing." Her look changes from upset to annoyed. She walks over to her locker and as she passes Bosco, he grabs her arm and stops her. "What's going on...who were you talking to?"  
  
"No one." She pushes by him and starts changing. "Forget it."  
  
He takes a peek around the lockers but sees no one there so he shrugs it off.  
  
*****  
  
Martin and Gusler are in their RMP heading over to the park. Martin breaks the tense silence with, "What were you talking to Yokas about?"  
  
"Nothing." Steve says quietly.  
  
"Tell me what the hell you said to her!" He orders.  
  
"She asked how I liked being back on patrol...that's all."  
  
"And what did you tell her?"  
  
"I said I like it just fine...then you walked up."  
  
"You had better keep your mouth shut. Do you hear me? I don't want Yokas sniffing around in my business." Steve says nothing, just keeps staring down at the floor. "If she starts asking questions about me, I'll know you said something to her.   
  
"I don't talk to Yokas." Steve looks at him worried. "I didn't say anything. I wouldn't."  
  
"Just keep it that way. Coz if she doesn't mind her own business, she will regret living through that ordeal. Do you understand me? If you don't want anything to happen to your girlfriend, you'll keep your mouth shut."   
  
*****  
  
Bosco is driving and talking to Faith. "I was at my mom's bar last night. She said Mikey is getting out of rehab at the end of the week. He's moving in with her." He looks over at Faith. "He better not give her any trouble. I don't want to have to kick his ass."  
  
"Yah." She says, staring out the window.  
  
"I tried to tell her not to take him in...but you know how ma is where Mikey is concerned."   
  
"Right." She says blankly.  
  
He can tell she isn't listening to him, so he adds, "Then he is going to start at Harvard."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"But first he is going to have that sex change."  
  
"Right."  
  
"You're not listening to a thing I'm sayen." He says annoyed. "What the hell is buggen you today?"  
  
She looks over at him and says, "Bos...have you heard anything about Pete Conti and Tommy Collins? Are they back to work?"   
  
She is talking about two officers from the 63rd, who's partners were also killed by the lunatic that killed Martin's partner, and almost killed Faith.  
  
"I don't know...I think so. Martin is back...they probably are. Why are you thinken about them?"  
  
I don't know. I was just wondering if they've gotten over it."  
  
"They lost their partners...that's too bad...but you're the one that went through hell...and you got over it. They certainly should have. What is this all about? Did you say somethen to Martin? I told you to mind your own business."  
  
She looks over at him annoyed. "Something's wrong there. I can tell. I don't think Martin was ready to come back to work."  
  
"Why...did Gusler say something to you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then stay out of it Faith. Don't look for trouble."  
  
*****   
  
Martin and Gusler arrive at the park barricade. They stand guard at the park entrance for four hours with out one spoken word between them. When it comes time for dinner break, Martin tells Steve to go somewhere and eat. "We'll meet back here in an hour." Martin calls in that they are out of service, then Steve walks into the park and Martin walks down to Al's Bar and Grill.  
  
Steve wanders through the park and stops at a burger stand for his dinner. He takes a seat nearby and watches all the people coming and going. He sees several pairs of officers walking around, and talking together. Why can't he do the same? Why does Martin hate him so much? There is something wrong with Martin. He is so angry, and not just when he drinks. Steve is afraid of him, and really worried that he threatened Faith.  
  
He contemplates walking off into the park, and not returning to his post...ever. His mom was right...she always was...he is not suited to be a cop. People walk all over him, including his partner.   
  
But Steve feels a sense of responsibility. He needs to return to his post, even if Martin doesn't...especially if Martin doesn't. He obviously hasn't gotten over the loss of his partner. It really is Steve's responsibility to report it...before something happens because of it. Although, when Martin finds out he reported him, he will kill Steve. No...he is too afraid to take an action like that. He will just ride it out like he always does.  
  
An hour is almost up, and Steve heads back to the park entrance and calls himself back in to service.  
  
[About an hour later]  
  
Sully and Davis get a report of a hit and run driver in a 1990, white, Chevy S-10 truck. They spot the vehicle and give pursuit. They are heading towards the park and they call their location and heading, in to central. Central reports over the radio to 55-Edward that the suspects are heading towards them. Gusler runs to the RMP. His plan is to block the road when they drive up, but they arrive quicker than he expected. As he starts to open the door, he sees the truck barreling down at him.  
  
Faith and Bosco have called themselves out of service for dinner, when they hear the call. Faith says, "We should get over there."  
  
"We're on dinner break. We just ordered our food. We aren't goen anywhere."  
  
"Bosco...they may need..."  
  
"Relax mom...Sully and Davis are handling it." Reluctantly she leans on the counter, listening closely to the police communications on the radio.  
  
********  
  
The driver is planning to cut through the park and try to loose the officers by hiding there. He didn't plan on the barricade. He slams on the brakes, throwing the truck into a sideways skid, crashing into the saw horses and cones. They explode, sending wood splinters flying. People are running and screaming in every direction. A young man, walking with his girlfriend, are in his path. They have no time to escape the path of the truck that is bearing down on them.  
  
The sound of the woman's scream, is barely audible over the screaming tires, and is then cut short by the bone shattering sound of them tumbling over the hood and then onto the pavement. The truck finally comes to an abrupt stop as it meets the RMP, wrapping around it like a giant metal glove.  
  
Gusler barely had enough time to climb out of the car and clear the path of destruction, being chewed open by the speeding truck. He covers his face from the flying debris. When looks back at the truck, spewing steam from it's crumpled hood he sees the driver hop out and start running into the park and down the footpath. Steve takes off after him.  
  
About fifty yards in, the suspect turns left and hops over the hedgerow, then continues running down the grassy hill towards the water. Gusler follows.   
  
Martin is still sitting in the bar, with no intention of going back to work any time soon. While he was on his dinner break, he turned off his radio, and never thought to turn it back on. He has no idea what's happening.  
  
55-Charlie has pulled up to the entrance. Sully runs over to help an injured bystander, and calls for a bus. Davis runs into the park, in the direction that everyone told him the suspect headed. About a hundred yards in, he stops, having no visual on the guy. He radios back to Sully, that he lost him.  
  
"55-Edward in pursuit. I'm heading east towards the boat dock." Gusler reports over the radio.   
  
Davis turns left and continues towards the dock.  
  
The suspect runs into a giant garage used for storing the boats and canoes. Gusler reaches the garage, radios in to Davis where he is, then draws his weapon and enters the garage. It is dark inside. There are stalls all down one side and shelves down the other filled with life jackets, paddles and other boating equipment. The center has a row of racks with brackets sticking out, to hang canoes on.   
  
Steve slowly works his way in, peeking around into each stall. He is terrified. He ran in without thinking, and now he is aware of the fact that he should have waited for Davis to catch up before he went in. But now he is halfway through, and it is too late to turn back, so he slowly edges forward.   
  
He is about to peek into another stall, when Davis calls him on the radio.  
  
"Gusler...where are you?"  
  
Steve stops and grabs the radio. "I'm inside...fourth stall in..." As he looks back to count the stalls behind him, the suspect stands up from inside the next stall and hits Steve in the back with an oar. Steve falls to the ground. The suspect runs to the end of the garage and escapes through a side door.  
  
Davis enters the garage and finds Steve on the ground. He calls in that there's an officer down, and he needs a bus in a rush.  
  
Faith and Bosco look at each other. Bosco grabs the burgers from the girl at the counter, and they run out of the diner. As they rush to the location, they hear Davis calling Martin over the radio. He is not responding. When they arrive at the park, they see Sully talking to the EMTs as they work on a civilian near the entrance. A second bus has pulled up and Sully runs over to them, pointing into the park.  
  
"Sully where's Gusler?" Faith yells.  
  
"Gusler is the cop that's down. Davis is with him...over by the boat dock."   
  
They follow the bus through the park, and Faith is relieved to find Gusler is sitting up talking to Davis. He doesn't look seriously hurt.   
  
As the paramedics check him out, Faith starts asking questions. "Where's Martin?"  
  
Gusler doesn't answer. She looks at Davis. He raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. "Don't know. He isn't responding on the radio."  
  
She asks Gusler again. Quietly he answers, "He went out on dinner break."  
  
"So why aren't you with him?"  
  
"He had something to do I guess. He said to go eat and he'd meet me back here in an hour."  
  
"Well how long ago was that? It's almost ten o'clock now." They can tell by her voice that she is getting angry.  
  
"I don't know...I guess...maybe I came back early." Gusler is trying to avoid any problems and is hoping that Faith will just drop it. Of course she doesn't.  
  
"So he went on break...without you...and never came back. Is that what happened? Because it's pretty late to be out on dinner break still. Does he do this every night? How many times has he disappeared Steve? Coz I'm letting the Lieutenant know about this."  
  
Gusler doesn't answer. He looks nervously at Bosco, then turns his attention to the paramedics, and tries to convince them that he is ok and doesn't need to go to the hospital.   
  
Bosco grabs her by the arm. "Come here. Lets talk." he says, pulling her aside. Davis joins them. "Faith, we were just at dinner. And how many times have you left to go see Em at school or something?"  
  
"What's your point?"  
  
"Cut the guy a break. Gusler isn't pissed about it...why should you be?"  
  
She answers back sharply, "Martin's his partner. He's suppose to watch his back, and instead he left him alone. Steve almost..."  
  
"Exactly! He's his partner. And Steve is trying to cover for his partner. They're bonding. And you're trying to come between them."   
  
She looks up at Davis, who nods in agreement, and then she concedes and says, "Alright...I won't push it...but I'm going with him to the hospital. We'll stay with him until Martin shows up...and if he doesn't by the end of the shift, I'm reporting it to Lieu."   
  
She climbs in back of the ambulance with Steve, and Bosco follows them to the park entrance, where he stops to drop Davis off with Sully. He exits the park, and when he stops at the first light, he glances over and spots Martin walking out of the bar.  
  
*********   
  
Martin walks back to the park and when he notices his RMP all smashed up and hanging on the back of a tow truck, he runs up to Sully and Davis.  
  
"What the hell is going on? What the fuck did that idiot do now?" He barks.  
  
"Martin...where have you been man? We've been trying to reach you on the radio." Davis says.  
  
"None of your business where I've been. Where the hell is Gusler? I'll fucken kill him. We'll be here all night doing paper work."  
  
"Your partner is on his way to the hospital." Davis informs him.  
  
"Son-of-a-bitch! Now I'm gonna be in emergency all night. What the hell did he do? Why can't he do anything right?"  
  
"Your concern is real touching." Davis says as he reaches over and flips Martin's radio on. "If you had this on...like you're suppose to...you'd know what the hell is going on."  
  
"Listen smart ass...I'm not in the mood to listen to your shit."  
  
"No. Your in a party mood...I can smell it on your breath." Davis says making circles with his finger around his mouth.  
  
Martin takes a step towards Davis. "You wanna go at it big mouth? C'mon...let's go!"  
  
Sully steps between them and puts his hand on Martin's chest. "Knock it off. You're in enough trouble. Let's you and me go get some coffee and I'll explain what happened." With that said, Sully steers him towards a hot dog stand. Davis raises his hands and shakes his head in disgust, and walks back over to his car.  
  
Sully radios in to 55-David that Martin has returned from dinner and that Sully and Davis have to drive him back to the house so he can get another RMP if he is going to pick up Gusler at the hospital. He reminds them that it is almost eleven o'clock, the end of the shift. He suggests that, as long as they are already there, they bring Gusler back with them.  
  
Bosco agrees, mostly because he doesn't want Faith to have a confrontation with Martin until she cools off.  
  
******** 


	5. Chapter Five

Author's Note: Thanks for all your reviews. I have been having trouble coming up with an ending, but suddenly I got a few reviews, and I'm getting motivated. I hope you enjoy the turns this is going to take.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Five~  
  
[The day after the crash]  
  
Martin has been called in early and is now in Lieutenant Swersky's office.   
  
"Sit down Dale." Lieu says, motioning to a chair with his hand.  
  
"This is about yesterday, right? I'm sorry Lieu...I forgot to turn my radio on after my dinner break. It was just an oversight. I guess I'm a little rusty. I've got to get back into the old habits again. I've been off for..."  
  
"I want to know exactly what happened yesterday. Where were you?"  
  
"I had some personal business to handle at dinner and it took a little longer than I expected."  
  
"You should have told Gusler where you could be reached. More importantly...you need to have your radio on. Some of the other officers that responded were concerned about that."  
  
"I know Lieu...like I said...It took longer than I expected. I thought I'd be back in an hour."  
  
"So, where were you?"  
  
"I had some personal business. I'd rather not discuss it."  
  
"I see...how long were you gone?"  
  
"I guess I was about a half hour, maybe an hour late. Look Lieu...I'm sorry. It won't happen again."  
  
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take some action on this Dale. You were away from your post, you were unreachable, and you put your partner in danger. That's unacceptable."  
  
"Lieu, we were on traffic detail...who would have figured there would be trouble."  
  
"You're a cop...you always have to expect trouble. What concerns me more is the fact that one of your fellow officers has expressed some concern to me, that you may be having some difficulties adjusting to being on the job again. It was suggested that you may need further counseling."  
  
"Jesus Lieu. I've been in counseling for a year now. I'm over it for Christ's sake. It was Yokas that complained to you, wasn't it. She's over reacting."   
  
"I'm not at liberty to say who voiced the concern. But it was just that...concern...it was not logged as a complaint."  
  
"Yokas has a mother complex. She treats Gusler like he is one of her kids."  
  
"I didn't say it was Yokas who complained...and that's not the point Dale. You broke a lot of rules yesterday and endangered your partner. You were not even there to accompany him to the hospital. Your RMP was destroyed. And on top of it all...you could not be reached by any of the officers that responded to your post. I have two choices here...I can either write you up for all of those violations, which would mean suspension, loss of pay, and an investigation by internal affairs which could lead to a dismissal...or...I can follow up on the recommendation that you need further counseling and were not ready to return to duty. That would mean that you go out on disability again, and get more counseling."  
  
"Damn it Lieu...you can't do this to me. I don't need more crap in my life." He squirms around in his chair, trying to think of how he can get around this. "Ok Lieu...let me tell you where I was yesterday...I went to see my wife...she left me. She left because she was sick of the counseling. I wasn't working...always home...and it looked like they were never gonna clear me to go back to work. I'm ready...I've been ready. I went to see my wife to show her that I am back to work. To try and work things out. I want my life to just get back to normal."  
  
"How did it go with your wife?"  
  
"Great! She was really happy to see me in uniform. We talked about getting back together...I've been staying in an apartment. This will fuck it all up for me Lieu. Honest to God...what I need is to get out of counseling and go back to work. The problem is...you gave me the worst cop to work with. Gusler doesn't know what he's doing. I don't expect to get another partner that is as good as Maria was, but give me someone who can at least figure out how to get their gun out of their holster."  
  
"I'm sorry Dale. This is too serious to overlook. I'm going to send you to talk to the counselor...meet with him as soon as you can, and on his recommendation, we'll see about getting you back on duty. For now...I need your badge and your weapon."  
  
Martin stands up angrily and slams his badge down on the desk. He looks at Lieu for a moment, as if he's about to say something more, but he doesn't. He storms out of the office and heads towards the locker room.  
  
******************  
  
Faith has just arrived for work and sees Gusler at his locker.   
  
"Steve...how do you feel? You could have taken today off ya know."  
  
"No...I'm ok." He says nervously.  
  
Suddenly the locker room door opens and Martin storms in. He sees Faith and starts yelling at her. "You just couldn't stay out of it could you! You son-of-a-bitch!"  
  
Faith, along with everyone else, looks over at him and she says, "What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"I don't like you Yokas. You just can't mind your own business."  
  
Faith turns and walks towards him, and the other officers all start walking closer. "When you endanger another officer, I'm gonna make that my business."  
  
He stalks up to her and barks, "I lost my partner because of you....but that wasn't enough. You just couldn't mind your own business. You won't be happy until I lose my job, will you."  
  
She looks him sternly in the eye. "You...are mentally unstable. I'm not gonna listen to this shit." Then she turns to head to her locker.  
  
"Don't you walk away from me!"   
  
He rushes up to her, and as she turns back towards him, he shoves her hard into the lockers. She falls to her knees against the cages and as she tries to get to her feet he throws a punch to the side of her head, but Davis and Sully are suddenly there. Sully steps in front of Faith, and helps her to her feet, then blocks her from retaliating, and Davis grabs Martin by his arm and pulls him backwards away from Faith.  
  
"Knock it off!" Sully barks, while Davis yells at Martin, "What the hell is wrong with you man?" Davis holds Martin back, as he reaches his arm around to grab at Faith.  
  
Steve stands there in shock, staring with his mouth agape.  
  
Martin says, "I'll kill you before I lose my job because of you..."   
  
Steve is blinded with a flashback.   
  
Suddenly, Steve is standing with Benny Ross in a warehouse. They were called to meet with two undercover cops that Benny said were from the 63rd . They were angry with Ross, and Steve didn't understand why...it was something that had happened before Ross was appointed to be his training officer.  
  
Steve offered to wait in the car...thinking that it was a personal thing, but Ross said to come with him...he may need his help. This made Steve proud and scared at the same time...and he had a feeling that this would be a life changing experience for him. He was right.  
  
The two men asked Ross who Steve was, and he answered that Steve was his new partner, and anything they had to say to Ross, they could say in front of Steve. The men told Steve that if he knew what was good for him, that he would leave now and get far away from Ross. Steve opted to stay...not really out of devotion, but out of fear that Ross would be mad at him for deserting.  
  
The two men told Ross that they were being investigated, and that Ross would be too. For what, Steve did not know. They told Ross that he needed to lie and say that they were not with him, where ever the 'event' took place.   
  
Ross told them he wouldn't lie, because that would leave him as the scapegoat for what ever illegal thing they were all involved in. Then the men jacked Ross up against the wall and threatened him. He still refused to do what they wanted. Then they got rough with him, and he yelled to Steve for help. Steve froze. He didn't know what to do, so he did nothing, except watch in horror as the two men bullied Ross for a while. Then they let him go with a warning to do as he was told.   
  
Ross started to leave, but when he got near Steve...near the door, he bent down and pulled out a gun that was strapped to his leg and waved it at the men. He told them he 'would kill them before he lost his job because of them', and then he proceeded to fire the gun. He shot each man once and they fell over.  
  
Steve was horrified. He started crying and backed himself into a corner so hard, he's surprised he didn't go clean through it. He then relieved himself. He heard what he thought was Ross crying, but when he finally opened his eyes, Ross was staring at him furiously. And the sound he heard was the two shot men...not crying...but laughing.  
  
It was all a put on. Or as Ross explained it...a test...to see if Steve would defend his partner unconditionally, even over something that was possibly illegal...because that is what partners do. Ross was testing him to see if Steve had his back, and obviously, Steve failed the test.   
  
Ross told him he was a disgrace. He was ashamed. He would not take him as a partner, and for that matter no one ever would. He told Steve that at the end of the shift they would go in to see Lieu and tell him that they had a mutual dislike for each other and needed to have new partners. If Steve was to mention anything about the test, Ross and probably all the other officers would beat the shit out of him. He also suggested that Steve quit the force.  
  
Steve didn't quit...he was too ashamed to explain why, and since he worked the desk for a long time...it was never an issue. And then he worked with Faith. And she not only never tested him...like Ross said all cops do...but she was nice to him. She was patient, and really taught him things. And he was hopeful about being a cop for the first time...until Boscorelli came back and took her away again.   
  
And now here he stands watching in horror as Martin threatens, and attacks Faith...the only true partner he's ever had. Martin is crazy...crazy enough to shoot her. And if this is some sort of test...he can not fail. Gusler begins shaking. His expression changes from fear to anger, and his eyes squint into a stern look of hatred.   
  
Martin reaches around Ty and points a finger at Faith, and says again, "If I lose my job because of you...your dead!"  
  
Gusler suddenly lunges at Martin, surprising everyone. And then Steve gives out a yell that can only be described as a war cry, and attacks Martin with a fury that even Steve didn't know he was capable of. He hit him square in the back, knocking Davis backward and throwing Martin, with Steve on his back, over the bench, and onto the floor. He was so angry that his hands were shaking as he grabbed him by the neck and tried to squeeze his miserable life out of him.  
  
Davis tries to pull him off and finally, with the help of Sully, he does.   
  
Martin gets to his feet, alarmed. All the fight has been knocked out of him being totally outnumbered.   
  
Bosco walks in and looks around confused, "What's going on?"   
  
Right behind him is Sergeant Christopher. "Five minutes to roll call." Christopher looks around, feeling the tension in the air. "What's happening here?"  
  
"Nothing." Martin says. He and Yokas stare at each other intensely.  
  
"Martin...what are you still doing here?"  
  
"I came to get my coat."  
  
"Then get it." He looks at the others and says, "The rest of you now have four minutes till roll call." Once everyone starts to disperse, he turns and walks to the door, and waits for Martin to follow before he leaves.   
  
"Are you ok?" Sully asks Faith, who is wiping blood off of her left hand.  
  
"Yah. I scraped my knuckles on the locker. Thanks Sully."  
  
"What happened?" Bosco asks.  
  
"Nothing." Faith says. "We're gonna be late for roll call."  
  
He looks to Sully for an explanation. "That crazy bastard Martin. I don't think he should have come back to work."   
  
"What did he do?"  
  
"I'll tell ya later...we're late." Faith tells him  
  
*******************  
  
After handling a traffic stop and a fender bender, 55-David pulls off to get coffee. Faith is leaning against the car when Bosco walks over with two cups, and after handing her one, he leans next to her.   
  
"So...you wanna tell me what happened in the locker room?"  
  
"Martin is an asshole."  
  
"Well...what did he do? How did you cut your hand?"  
  
"I was talking to Gusler and he burst in and started yelling at me that I wasn't gonna cost him his job. He said I killed his last partner and that he'd kill me if he lost his job."  
  
"Were you bitching at him about yesterday...because I told you..."  
  
"Bosco...I asked Gusler if he was ok...you know...from yesterday, that's all. Then Martin came in and attacked me from behind."  
  
"You mean he verbally attacked you?"  
  
"No...I mean...I turned my back and he physically attacked me. Sully and Davis pulled him off of me. The guy is crazy. I think he's really lost his mind...I don't know what he was even talking about...he wasn't making sense."  
  
"That son-of-a-bitch...why didn't you tell me? I would have..."  
  
"You didn't have to...the weirdest thing happened..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Steve jumped in and defended me."  
  
"Gusler? Are you serious?"  
  
"I never saw him like that...it was...scary."  
  
"Go Steve!" Bosco says.  
  
"I think Martin got suspended...I think that's what he was talking about. He thinks I reported him. I should have."  
  
"Oh shit. This is all my fault."  
  
"Why? What did you do?"   
  
"I went to Lieu and said I didn't think he was fit for duty."   
  
"You what! After all the lectures I got from you to stay out of it..."  
  
"I know...but he...I saw him come out of a bar on my way to the hospital last night. That's why he wasn't with Gusler. I didn't tell Lieu that. Just...that I thought he needed more counseling. Lieu said he'd keep it anonymous. I didn't think he'd blame you."  
  
"Blame me? He attacked me. Threatened to kill me."  
  
"That Bastard...I'm gonna have a few words with him."  
  
"No Bos...don't. The guy is a loaded gun. Just leave him alone now. Let the councilors handle it."  
  
He doesn't argue with her...there's no reason to. He will handle it in his own way, when the time comes.   
  
***** [Later that night - Closing time] *****  
  
Martin staggers out of the bar and turns the corner heading to his car that is parked in a lot behind the building. He walks up to his car a little unsteady, and as he stoops over, trying to fit the key in the lock, he hears a familiar voice say, "Martin, I need to talk to you."  
  
He turns, startled, but then his expression changes as he looks at the familiar face that has approached him. "What the hell do you want?" he growls.  
  
"I understand that you threatened my partner." he says calmly.  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?" He barely got the question out when he is shoved hard against his car, and punched square in the nose. "Hey...back the fuck off, you asshole." He shouts in a slur, as he puts his hand up to his face. He looks at the blood on his hand that he wiped from his nose. "I'm gonna kick your ass, you little son-of..."  
  
His eyes are now tearing from the punch and he never saw the nightstick before it made contact with the side of his head, spinning him around and causing him to drop face down onto his hood.  
  
"Nobody threatens my partner...do you understand?"  
  
"Fuck you." Martin says, trying to stand. He takes a swing at his attacker but he misses, and is punched hard in the face again. He slides off the hood and lands face down on the pavement in front of his car.   
  
"Am I making myself clear? You stay away from Faith."  
  
He rolls over and hisses at the man, "I'll fucken kill her...and you...you son-of-..." His words are stopped again by a kick to the face. He is just barely conscious as the officer crouches down and whispers to him that he just made a fatal mistake. "I don't like the way you've been treating Steve, and I could have stayed out of that, but I will never let you hurt Faith. You have just become extinct."   
  
Martin was found the next morning, beaten to death.   
  
*********** 


	6. Chapter Six

Author's Note: Thanks for all your the reviews. I can't tell you how much they mean to me...and more than that...how much they motivate me. I'm glad you are enjoying this story. I know it took a while for me to get to the exciting part, but I needed to draw a good picture so the rest will make sense, so thanks for sticking around. And please keep the reviews coming...I still haven't come up with an ending yet. Now hold on...lots of angst coming.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Six~  
  
Steve wakes up on his couch. He has an underlying feeling of dread, similar to someone waking with a hangover after a work Christmas party, not remembering what they did the night before, but knowing that they did something they'll regret when they get back to work.  
  
He tries to clear the fog...tries to remember what he did last night after his shift. He notices his uniform laying on the floor. He wore it home and he doesn't remember why. He don't remember even leaving work.   
  
He goes to the kitchen and throws together a pot of coffee. As it starts to brew, he notices the box sitting on the end table. He freezes. It is a large shoe box about twenty years old, that originally held his fathers snow boots. But now it holds objects, that frighten Steve. The last time Steve saw it was when he moved into this apartment. It had been buried away in his closet since he was little. He moved it with all his things, and never dared to look into it before he hid it away again.   
  
He doesn't really understand what is in it, or rather the significance of what is in it, but he does know that he needs to keep it buried. How it got out from beneath all the other boxes of junk and books in the deepest part of his closet, is a mystery to him. He stares at it from across the room as if it may bite him if he touches it. He encircles it, his eyes wide and distressed. Almost fifteen minutes go by and he finally has gotten close enough to touch it.   
  
His hand shakes as he reaches for the lid. He flips it off and stares down at the contents. It all looks vaguely familiar, only because he has done this very same dance around it in the past. Always feeling terrified, remorseful and confused about where the objects came from. Each time he studies the contents, searching for an item that was not there before, and then suffocating in the mystery surrounding it....wanting to understand what it is, yet suppressing the desire to know, and succumbing to the feeling that he is better off hiding it away and pretending it doesn't exist.  
  
The new item in the box this time is a watch. Steve picks it up and looks it over, his mouth open in a scared and puzzled gaze. It is still ticking. On the back is an inscription, "Thanks for always having time for me. Love, Maria."   
  
The only Maria Steve can think of is Martin's partner. She may have given it to Martin, but what is it doing here in his apartment...in his secret box. Steve sits down on the couch, his gaze and his thoughts are far away. Nothing is coming to him. He can think of no explanation for it. But then he never could come up with an explanation for anything that appeared in the box...or even how the box got out of it's hiding spot in the first place.   
  
Steve is slumped way down into his couch rubbing his temple to ease his pounding head with his right hand, and his left, holding the watch up in front of his face as he studies it. He stares at it like a psychic trying to read the aura surrounding it...then suddenly his face breaks out in a big grin.  
  
His face takes on a whole different look as his features turn hard and his eyes get sullen. Steve rubs his thumb over the inscription on the watch and he says out loud, "Well, you two can be partners once again." Then he lets out an malevolence grunt.   
  
His grin turns into a satisfied smile as his mind replays the events from last nights confrontation with Martin in the parking lot. He remembers the smug look on Martin's face when he saw, who he thought was Steve approach him. Of course it wasn't Steve, it was him...Stan. He chuckles under his breath remembering how he punched that look right off Martin's face, changing it to utter shock.   
  
Stan loves the metamorphosis that always takes place in people when he steps in to avenge Steve. It never ceases to amuse him. They look at him with such disregard, until Stan forces them to show respect. But by then it is too late for them. He loves that moment also...the second they try to back pedal out of their punishment. Suddenly sorry for tormenting Steve.  
  
Although Martin didn't even try. He was just a mean son-of-a-bitch, who had no regret for his actions and held that ground until he was dead. Unlike that big dumb jock from high school.   
  
He places the box on the coffee table in front of him. Reaching into the box he picks up a newspaper clipping and the large high school ring. He slips it on and off his finger, noting that it is almost large enough for him to slip two fingers into it. Then he reads the article once again, outlining the untimely death of the high schools biggest, most popular jock, after a pep rally the night before the playoffs. He had gone out drinking with the team, and then went parking with his cheerleader girlfriend, and after dropping her off at home, he was attacked outside his own home, by someone or a group of people, hinting that it may have been a rival football team. But his murder was never solved.  
  
He was beaten so severely with an object, most probably a baseball bat, that they had to identify him with finger prints. He was not only beaten about the head, but also in the back, and the article stated that had his head injuries not been fatal, the back injuries would have left him paralyzed. The article goes on to say that it must have been either numerous people or someone of considerable strength. This makes Stan smile every time he reads it. He gently places them back in the box.   
  
He moves the deflated, rubber kick ball and picks up another article. This one has a lock of golden hair paper-clipped to it. He looks melancholy as he studies the picture of Michelle Feathers. It was her first grade picture and he even remembers that it was a red and black plaid dress she had worn on picture day, even though the article was in black and white.  
  
The article was intended to be sad as it spoke of the freak circumstances surrounding her accidental death. She had fallen out of a tree house in her yard, but the fall alone probably would not have killed her, if the rope hanging through the hole in the floor had not tangled around her, breaking her neck as she fell. How she had gotten tangled in the rope was a mystery, since no one was with her when it happened.   
  
There was some speculation of foul play, because a lock of hair had been cut from her head, but they eventually reasoned that away, since there was no evidence of any other harm such as sexual molestation. "You little bitch." He growls under his breath. He rolls the lock of hair between his fingers as he places it carefully back into the box.  
  
He pulls out the blue bandanna, still tied with a knot to be slipped over Max's head. He sniffs it, and it floods him with memories of Chris and how much he loved that dog Max, and how jealous Steve was over that fact. He remembers all the times Steve cried in his room, because Chris was too busy playing with Max to play with him. He really thought by eliminating the dog, Chris would be a better friend to Steve, but it didn't work. Chris was just not worth Steve's friendship after all.   
  
After placing the bandanna back in the box, Stan picks up the shoe. It has drops of Ross' blood still on it. This one was his favorite 'Get even'. This was the first time he avenged Steve right in front of people...in front of the whole force. When all hell broke loose during that shoot out, and Steve started losing it, Stan jumped in to help him. He also loved being Faith's partner but never got the chance, because when Steve was with her, he didn't need Stan.   
  
But that day was different. It was terrifying even for him. When Faith ran out into the line of fire, he planned to lay down cover for her. When the gunman fell before he could fire, and he saw Ross...right there in his sight, it was too good to be true. Too perfect to pass up. He drew a bead on him and fired, hitting him directly in the head. But then he needed to lay low. He knew that Steve would never be looked at for the murder of an officer, so he left, and let Steve cover for him.   
  
He looks over all the other objects in the box, each has it's own history of victory. Each one gives him strength. He drinks his coffee and contemplates what will happen next. He may need Steve to get through the investigation of Martin's murder, but then he decides that it is time for him to take charge. He really enjoys being a cop, and it really has made it much easier for him to do what he intended from the start...avenge the underdog.  
  
Once the problem of Martin is cleared up, the only obstacle left to remove is Boscorelli.  
  
The phone rings, startling him out of his thoughts. It rings again and he lets the answering machine pick up. After a series of clicks, the voice says. 'This is Steven Gusler...I'm not here right now...leave a message at the tone.' Stan chuckles at the irony of that statement.  
  
"Steve this is Lieutenant Swersky."   
  
Stan doubles over as though he were punched in the stomach, and his body convulses.   
  
Steve suddenly notices the cup of coffee in his hand.   
  
"I need you to come down to the house as soon as you get this message. As soon a possible."  
  
He stares at the phone, as he recognizes the Lieutenant's voice, then his mouth drops open as he spots the Box sitting markedly on the coffee table. His brow furrows and his gaze turns to a stare of shock and horror. He looks quickly to the end table and back. How did the box move from there to here. What the hell is happening. He gets an eerie feeling that someone else was here.   
  
He spills his coffee as he hops up from the couch, and quickly moves away from the box. He looks back and forth from the box to the phone in a panic. Which terror should he address first. He doesn't know why, but he needs to get that box hidden again. But his mind races through different scenarios of what the Lieutenant may want.  
  
Everything he thinks of, points back to the same thing...Martin. Did someone report Martin for his behavior? Is the Lieutenant going to question Steve about it? How can he answer to that without getting a reprimand for not reporting it himself, or worse...a severe beating from Martin. Does it have something to do with the watch? He rushes to his bedroom to get dressed so he can report to the house. His hands shake as he dresses, and his breathing has become fast and labored. It is hitting the fan, and he knows what ever is coming, will be bad.  
  
[He arrives at the precinct]  
  
Steve walks in and heads up to Lieu's office. Halfway there he stops, seeing Faith and Bosco waiting outside the office. They are both in street clothes. They both glance up and give him a sympathetic look.  
  
"What's going on?" he asks as he approaches them.   
  
They share a glance and Bosco looks down to the floor. Faith stands up and puts her hand on his shoulder.   
  
"I'm sorry Steve. I have some bad news. There's been a...an accident. Maybe it's not my place to tell you...but...but Martin's dead." She looks at him with sad eyes, and waits for his reaction.  
  
He takes a step back, and shifting his gaze to the floor, he reaches his left hand out and grabs the arm of the bench for support. Several thoughts seize him at once.   
  
Faith takes his right arm. "Here...sit down." She sits with him on the bench. "Are you ok?"  
  
"What did...how did...how was he killed? Was it a car accident?" he asks, looking to be on the verge of losing it.  
  
"Do ya need some water or I can get you a coffee if ya want." Bosco offers, feeling awkward, yet wanting to be helpful.  
  
"No...just...what happened?"  
  
"I don't really know the details. They called me to come in. I think they want to question me." She says.  
  
"Were you there? Did you find him?"  
  
"No Steve." She gives Bosco a nervous look. "Steve...I heard...I don't know for sure...but I heard he was murdered. I think that's why I'm here, so they can question me about the fight we had yesterday. In the locker room."   
  
He looks at her in shock. "Why? He threatened you, not the other way..." He glances at Bosco then back to her. "What do you want me to say? I'll tell them whatever..."  
  
"No...don't worry about that. I did nothing wrong. I'm ok. I'm just gonna answer their questions."  
  
The door to Lieu's office opens and Sully and Davis come walking out. They look around nervously. Sully speaks quietly. "Faith...they want to see you next. Don't worry...we set 'em straight about yesterday."  
  
Davis pats Gusler on the shoulder and says, "Hey man...I'm sorry 'bout your partner."  
  
Faith went in and explained her side of the altercation with Martin, which confirmed what Sully and Davis had already told him. Bosco went in after her, and explained further, about the night that Gusler had been taken to the hospital, and how Martin had been drinking on the job. And then Gusler went in, feeling confident now that Martin could no longer hurt him, and poured his guts out about Martin's behavior since he had returned to work.   
  
After questioning all the officers, the detective on the case and the Lieutenant, come to the conclusion that Martin was a loaded gun waiting to go off. He must have pissed someone off, maybe in the bar. But he had only been back to work for a few days, and none of the officers really saw enough of him to have developed a hatred for him strong enough to want to kill him. Except maybe Gusler...and based on what Gusler had told them, he would have been the main suspect in the case, however they both agreed that Steve did not have the demeanor to be able to commit this crime. And his distraught reaction added to the assumption of his innocence.   
  
[Later in the day-just after roll call]  
  
Steve has been stationed back on the desk. The relief he feels from not having to ride with Martin overshadows the boredom of handing out ticket books, filing reports and processing suspects. For the first time all week, he finally feels relaxed about the job, yet it's in a disheartening kind of way. He feels like he is back where he belongs, but not really where he longs to be.   
  
He has come to accept the fact that he just can't cut it as a police officer. His dreams of helping the little guy, were just idealistic and naïve. The few times he actually did get to work on the street, it was a roller coaster ride of terror. He wonders how he ever even got the nerve to go to the academy in the first place. But he got this far...and someone has to do this part of the job, it may as well be him.  
  
The officers have started filing out past the desk after signing out their equipment. Steve tries to look busy as they meander by, talking and joking with each other. He sees Faith walk by, with Bosco following close behind spewing out some smart ass bullshit. He can tell because Faith is trying to ignore him. She rolls her eyes, with an annoyed turn of her head.   
  
A sudden feeling of nausea grabs is stomach, and he almost doubles over. His hands shake for a moment then his expression changes to anger. He glares at Bosco. He has the sudden urge to throw the reports he is holding, hop the counter, and pull Bosco away from her. That pig, always making sorted comments around Faith. Never showing her any respect. He can't wait to see that look in Bosco's face when he beats Bosco down to size, and makes him realize that there is punishment for his behavior. That time will be soon. He will not put up with this for much longer.   
  
When the shift ends, Gusler changes quickly before the other officers return, and heads out to his car. He parks near Bosco's blue Mustang and waits for him to leave for the night. He plans to follow him home and then he can come up with a plan on how to eliminate him.  
  
Finally he spots Faith walk out with Bosco right behind her. They exchange goodnights. Faith turns and walks away down the street, and Bosco walks to his car and climbs in. As he pulls away, Gusler pulls out behind him and follows from a safe distance.  
  
They drive for about fifteen minutes when Bosco pulls over in front of an all night deli. Gusler pulls over and parks a few car lengths away, and after grabbing a few items to take with him, he goes over to Bosco's car. Finding it unlocked, he climbs into the back seat, crouches down and waits for him to return.  
  
***** 


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Characters of Third Watch.  
  
Author's Note: Wow...you're reviews are great, thanks so much. I know this is what you've been waiting for so let's get right to it. And please, let me know what ya think.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Seven~  
  
Bosco comes out of the store and slides into the driver's seat. He pulls away from the curb and starts to drive away. Suddenly, before he realizes what is happening, something drops over his head, wraps tightly across his neck, and snaps his head back hard against the head rest cutting off his air supply.   
  
The car swerves dangerously back and forth down the road, as he reaches for the thing wrapped around his neck. He slams on his brakes, unable to control his vehicle, but he is more worried about the fact that he can not breathe. His eyes dart to the rearview mirror. He can make out only a dark image, leaning close to his head from the back seat.  
  
Then a voice whispers into his ear. "Don't stop. Keep driving and I'll give you some air."  
  
Bosco is gasping hard for air and he can feel his vision starting to blur. His attempts at sliding his fingers under the object around his neck have failed. It seems to be some sort of towel, and it is being held tightly by someone behind his seat. He takes his foot off the brake and touches the gas pedal causing the car to lurch forward.  
  
"That's right. Do as you're instructed." The voice says.  
  
The pressure around his neck releases, and he takes a big gulp of air. He finally gets enough air in his lungs to speak. "What the hell do you want? If you want the car...just take it. Let me out here..."  
  
"Shut up. Just keep driving."  
  
Bosco tries speaking again. "Look...I won't resist...just take what..."  
  
His words are cut off by the towel around his throat tightening. "I said shut up. Drive where I tell you." The voice orders. After a few seconds, he loosens the grip around Bosco's neck again so he can drive.  
  
Bosco's mind is racing, trying to think of what he can do to save himself. He has a gun strapped to his right ankle, but there is no way he can reach it. He searches the road for a police car he can try and signal. Hell, he'll drive right into it, but there are no other vehicles on the road. He follows the directions his assailant is telling him to take, and he is making Bosco drive to a very isolated part of the city. They turn onto a street, that has no lights and is surrounded by dilapidated buildings. They are all abandoned factories and warehouses.  
  
He is ordered to turn into an alley and stop the car. The towel is pulled away from his neck and he feels the cold metal of a gun barrel against his temple, as he is given his next set of instructions. The gun suddenly leaves his temple and swings upward at the dome light, smashing it.  
  
"Open the door and step out slowly. Try to run and you're dead. And don't turn around...just put your hands on top of your head."  
  
Bosco complies, stepping slowly out of the car and stands next to it. He takes a peek back, as the assailant climbs out of the back, all the while pressing the gun against Bosco's lower back. "You can have the car. Take my wallet. I can't identify you. Just take what you want and go."  
  
Gusler strikes him hard in the back of his head with the gun butt. "I said shut up!" He barks.  
  
Bosco drops to his knees from the force of the blow. A hand grabs him forcefully by the back of his shirt and lifts him to his feet again and pushes him against the car. He steadies himself with his left hand on the roof of the car and grabs his injured head with his right. He suddenly feels the clasp of a handcuff wrap around his right wrist and his arm is jerked viciously down to his back. He falls face first against the car as his left hand is pulled behind him also. His hands are now cuffed behind his back before he even has a chance to wriggle away.  
  
He feels himself being frisked. His wallet is pulled from his back pocket. Gusler opens it, revealing Bosco's badge. He removes it and places it in his pocket, then throws the wallet on the ground. The hands run down his leg, lifting his pant leg to expose his hidden gun. Gusler pulls the gun from it's holster, and slips it into his coat pocket as well. He then pulls Bosco away from the car and drops him face down on the ground.  
  
"Don't move." He orders, as he leans in the car and grabs the keys from the ignition. He then leans in farther and opens the glove box and rummages through it. He finds a flashlight, which he takes with him. He pulls Bosco to his feet and orders him to start walking. They walk to an abandoned factory, and go inside.  
  
Bosco is scared now. He can't figure out why this guy just doesn't take the car and go. He says, "Look...just leave me here. You don't have to kill me. I won't..."  
  
"Shut up you asshole! Haven't you figured this out yet Boscorelli...I don't want your fuckin car."   
  
Bosco tries to turn around, but Gusler shoves him forward, causing him to stumble. "What the hell do you want? Who are you?"  
  
"Think...who have you pissed off?" Then he laughs. "The list is never ending, huh? You piss off every one you come in contact with."  
  
The voice sounds vaguely familiar, yet it sounds as though the person is talking deeper to disguise himself. He tries to remember who he has arrested recently, but no one he thinks of has the same small build as this guy. "Why don't you just tell me what the hell this is all about?"  
  
"Oh I will...it wouldn't be fun for me if you didn't know." He points the light to a set of stairs, leading to the second floor. "Take those." he orders him.  
  
"No way. They won't hold. This place is falling apart."  
  
Gusler shoves him and he falls onto the steps. He lifts him up by the back of his shirt and orders him again to start climbing. Bosco does as he's told, with Gusler right behind him. The stairs move unsteadily as they walk. They sway more with each step. Bosco stops about halfway up to steady himself on the moving steps. There is a loud groan of fatiguing metal. Gusler grabs the rail and waits for the swaying to stop, then he urges Bosco on.   
  
They reach the second floor and Gusler shines the light towards the far corner. "Go over there." He shoves Bosco in the direction of the flashlight.   
  
Ahead of them, there are boarded up windows, and an opening into the room from the outer wall. Through the opening, a conveyor protrudes from the ground outside, all the way up into the room. It sticks in about four feet, and hangs over a large empty silo that is about eight feet wide in diameter. It stands on the ground floor but is several feet taller than the second story floor.   
  
Gusler walks Bosco over to it and shines the light down in, exposing the tall empty container. Bosco steps away from the edge. He is now beginning to panic about his fate.   
  
"Why are you doing this...what did I do to you?" He asks, trying to hide the terror in his voice. His captor allows him to turn around, and Bosco recognizes him. "Gusler? Steve? What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"I'm not Steve." Gusler says laughing. "But I am here on behalf of Steve. See I don't like the way you push him around."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about...I didn't do anything to you?"  
  
His voice is deep and angry. "You make fun of him, belittle him in front of the other officers. You shove him around like he's nobody." As he says this he gives Bosco a little shove backwards. Bosco stumbles back and quickly regains his balance.  
  
"You treat your partner like shit. You have no respect for any one. And for your actions...there is a punishment." Then he gives him another small shove.   
  
Bosco stumbles back against the wall. "No...I stuck up for you. I went to the Lieutenant about Martin. He's the one that treated you like shit."  
  
"I've already taken care of him. It's your turn now." He grabs Bosco by the front of his shirt, and spins him so his back is towards the empty silo, then walks him backwards towards it.   
  
The silo wall hits the back of Bosco's legs and Gusler holds him as he leans dangerously over the edge. His eyes grow wide, as he peeks down into the black hole behind him. His mind races for something to say. "Gusler...Steve...I don't get this. What the hell did I do? I want to understand. Please."  
  
Stan smiles and lets out a low growl of a laugh. "Here it comes...my favorite part." He talks in a whinny voice as he says, "I don't understand. Please tell me what I did wrong. I'm sorry I picked on Steve." He laughs out loud. "You're all the same. Big fuckin tough guys until someone stands up to you."  
  
"All right I get it. I ran into you the other day when I was late, right? I shoved you aside..."  
  
"NO!" he yells. "Not me...Steve. You shoved Steve. He is afraid of you and you take advantage of that. Every fuckin day. You push him aside, you interrupt while he's talking like he isn't even there. He is like a bug to you that you just swat aside. You don't even notice him he's so insignificant to you."  
  
"He's not my partner. I have no reason to..."  
  
"Right...Faith is your partner, and you treat her like shit too. You have the balls to act like she is beneath you. You boss her around. You're always talking trash in front of her. You have no respect. But I'm going to teach you some today."  
  
He leans Bosco backwards a little more. "How does this feel, Boscorelli? Huh...tell me what you're feeling right now."  
  
"I'm scared. Is that what you want me to be? Scared of you? You have my hands behind my back, so now you're the big tough guy. And yah...I'm scared."   
  
"That's good." He pulls Bosco forward, away from the edge, and punches him in the stomach.  
  
Bosco doubles over, unprepared for the hit. The air rushes out of his body and he can't seem to get any back in. He feels a wave of nausea roll through his gut and his legs give out. As he drops to his knees, he feels Gusler grab him from behind and straighten him up by wrapping his arm around Bosco's neck.  
  
"When you pick on Steve, it's like you're picking on a guy with his hands tied behind his back. Do you see where we are now? Are we on the same page?"  
  
Bosco spits out, "Yes. I get it."   
  
Gusler tightens his arm around Bosco's neck and says, "What do you have to say for your behavior?"  
  
Bosco struggles hard to inhale a breath. His stomach is queasy and tight. He grimaces as he speaks. "I'm sorry...I didn't realize you felt that way."  
  
Gusler removes his grip on Bosco's neck and steps around in front of him. For a moment Bosco is relieved. He thinks he's said the right thing to get Gusler to back off, so he continues talking. "I'm really sorry. I wish you'd told me how you felt. I would have backed..."  
  
Gusler shuts him up by slamming his fist into Bosco's left cheek. His teeth clack together, and his head snaps to the right, and his body follows. He falls hard to the floor.  
  
"You disappoint me Boscorelli. I thought you'd keep that smart ass attitude to the end. I never figured you to be the sniveling coward." He grabs Bosco under his arms and drags him to the edge of the silo, and tries pulling him up. "Get up! Get on your knees."  
  
"No." Bosco growls. "This isn't right." Even in his dazed state, he knows that Martin was beaten to death, and never in his wildest dreams would he have thought Gusler was capable of doing it...but here he is...getting his ass kicked, maybe to death. All he can do is make himself be dead weight so Steve can't toss him into the empty vat.  
  
Gusler struggles to lift him, but Bosco resists, so Stan kicks him in the stomach. Bosco cries out in pain. His mind searches frantically for something to say that will stop this.  
  
He tries to remember what Faith said about Steve. He was gentle. Yah...if only she could see her boy now. He definitely has snapped. But somewhere inside of this lunatic...is gentle Steve, and Bosco needs to reach him.   
  
Gusler finally gets him to his knees and bends him over the silo. Bosco is now balancing precariously on his stomach, teetering over the edge, looking down into the darkness below.   
  
In desperation he says, "Gusler...please. Don't do this. I'm sorry. I know I've been an asshole but I'm not heartless. I didn't know I was upsetting you... I mean upsetting Steve. God...I'm sorry. Give me another chance."  
  
"This is getting good." Stan says grinning. He pulls Bosco back to solid ground, and stands him up. "Keep talking I'm listening."  
  
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. I realize now, how I've made you...how I make everyone feel. You may not believe this but...I honestly feel terrible about it. No one should feel this way. I'm sorry."  
  
"I want to hear you beg me to let you go. Like I've had to hear Steve do a million times, to a million different fuckers just like you."  
  
Bosco shakes his head and looks sadly at Gusler. "I had no idea he's had such a rough time. I'm sorry....truly sorry."  
  
"Yah...you said that." He grabs Bosco's shirt. "That's not begging."  
  
"Don't! Please. I'm begging you...ok? I'm begging. Please...let me go and I'll change."  
  
Gusler moves him backwards towards the silo. Bosco is gripped with fear now. He can't tell if he's reaching this nut or not. "Please...don't do this. Let me go and I'll never pick on anyone again." As he feels the edge against his legs, he starts talking quicker. His voice takes on a desperate, pleading tone. "Oh God please. Don't. Please. I'll stick up for Steve from now on. Please don't kill me."  
  
Gusler leans him backwards over the edge. Bosco is hanging precariously over the top of the large silo, while Gusler holds tightly to his shirt with both hands. Then he says softly. "Now don't you feel humiliated having said all that..." Bosco looks at him confused. "...for nothing?"   
  
Bosco looks into Gusler's eyes and they are cold and merciless. Then he lets go of Bosco's shirt.   
  
There is a look of terror in Bosco's eyes for the split second before he falls over backwards into the container, and it makes Gusler smile.  
  
Bosco yells out as he tumbles through the dark. There is the sound of a slam against the side, and then the heavy thud of Bosco hitting the bottom. Then silence. Stan shines the light down inside, showing Bosco laying on his left side, arms still bound behind his back, one leg out stretched, the other bent. He is not moving or making any sounds.   
  
Stan can't tell if he is breathing or not, but it doesn't matter. No one will ever find him here. If he isn't dead, he will be soon enough. All he needs to do now, is dump the Mustang in the river, and presto...Bosco disappears for good.  
  
***** 


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Characters of Third Watch.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, you guys sure love to worry about Bosco.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Eight~  
  
[The day after Bosco's attack]  
  
Gusler walks into the precinct with a confidence he's never felt here before. He walks straight to the Lieutenant's office and gives the door a rap as he walks in and sits down. Swersky looks up at him a bit surprised.  
  
"Gusler...what can I do for you?"  
  
"I want to get back on patrol as soon as possible...as soon as something comes up. I'll fill in for anyone that's out sick. I can't stand working the desk one more day. What do ya say Lieu?"  
  
"So you enjoyed working on the street, huh? Even with all the problems Martin caused you?"  
  
"Yes sir. I feel my potential is being wasted on a desk. I need to get back out there. I think I can make a difference." He says, looking him straight in the eye.  
  
"Well...I must say...this is a side of you I've never seen Steve. I will check the roster at roll call. If anyone is out, you can fill in. I can't promise you anything, but...I can start looking for a partner for you if you'd like."  
  
"Yes sir. Thank you." He stands and struts out of the office, leaving Lieu a bit shocked at his new attitude.   
  
He enters the locker room, and as he walks by he says hi to everyone. They all look at him a little mystified.   
  
Davis says, "Hey Steve...how's it goen?"  
  
"Davis...I'm good. I feel great today...like a whole new person. How are you?" Stan says with a grin.  
  
"I'm good." he answers looking a little bewildered. The officers share a questioning glance, but continue getting ready for roll call.   
  
"Bosco's late as usual." Sully points out to Faith.  
  
"He's still got a few minutes." No sooner does she say it, when Christopher yells in, "Roll call." Sully chuckles as he walks out.  
  
[Roll call]  
  
"Sullivan."  
  
"Here."  
  
"Davis."  
  
"Yo."  
  
Sector Charlie...fifty six, forty eight...eighteen hundred meal break.  
  
"Yokas."  
  
"Yah."  
  
"Boscorelli." When he gets no answer, he looks up and repeats, "Boscorelli?"  
  
"He's not here yet." Faith says regretfully.  
  
"Is he coming in today?" He turns towards Christopher. "Did he call in?"  
  
"No he did not." He answers grinning.  
  
"Ok then...Yokas...Gusler...sector David...fifty six, forty nine...nineteen hundred meal break. If Boscorelli shows...have him see me. Eyes and ears open out there. We have a backlog, so lets not dally."  
  
Gusler walks up to Faith and says, "I'll get the radios." then he walks off.  
  
She looks at him, baffled, then says to Sully, "I'm gonna kill Bosco. Why the hell can't he get his ass here in time."  
  
"I think he pushed it one too many times. He'd be better off calling in sick now."  
  
"You're right. I'm gonna try calling him." She heads to the desk and calls his home, but gets no answer. She leaves him a message then hangs up and finds Gusler waiting eagerly for her, holding two radios.   
  
"Here...oh, and you can drive." She takes her radio from him, and stares at him as he heads off towards the door. He turns back. "Ya comen?"  
  
"Yah." She says quietly, pondering the new Steve.  
  
They go out on patrol. Steve calls them in as 10-98 and they are told to respond to a MVA. They head to the scene and begin directing traffic when the radio calls out.  
  
'55-David...respond to 1100 block of East River Street.'  
  
"This is 55-David...that location is out of our jurisdiction. Is there a reason you're sending us there?"  
  
'Affirmative. You were requested to this location.'  
  
"10-4 Central." Faith calls out, "Steve...let's go."  
  
"What do ya think this is all about?" he asks a bit nervously. He knows the location is near where he dumped Bosco's car into the river.  
  
"We'll find out." She says, hurrying to the car.  
  
They drive over and pull up at the scene. There are several patrol cars from another precinct, a few detectives, and lots of people gathered, watching a tow truck pull something out of the river. There are divers in the water, bobbing up and down near the line of the wench that is submerged. Faith and Gusler walk over to the edge of the water, just as the object underwater starts to break the surface. It is a car.  
  
Faith walks up to one of the detectives and asks why they were called here. He asks her if she knows Maurice Boscorelli. As she answers him, she realizes the car being dragged to the shore is his blue Mustang.   
  
"Oh sweet Jesus!" she shouts as she runs to the car. "Did someone run the plates?"  
  
The detective follows her and says, "Yes we did. When we realized who it belonged to we notified the five-five. They said they would send someone here."  
  
"They sent me." Sergeant Cruz walks up to them.  
  
Faith gets a sick feeling in her stomach thinking about the fact that Bosco didn't show up for work or call in. She looks inside the car, hoping to not see a body. She feels little relief when there is none, because now they are prying open the trunk.   
  
She watches, trying to keep her composure, as she yells at them to hurry. Her words are now half panicked screams. Gusler walks up to her and says, "Are you alright? Why don't you wait over there. I'll do this. Let me look first."   
  
She pushes him aside. "Hurry! Get it open." she screams.  
  
As they force the trunk open, she grabs Gusler by the coat sleeve. "Please...God...don't let him be in there." she whispers.   
  
The trunk is opened, and it is empty. Faith exhales a cry of relief. She bends over and puts her hands on her knees to tries and regain her composure. She wipes her eyes with her hand, and asks the detective how they knew his car was in the water.  
  
"That bum over there." he says pointing. "He saw someone roll it in the water early this morning. Called the police to see if they would tow it out for him. He thinks it's finders keepers." He calls to her as she walks away, "We already questioned him."  
  
She approaches the guy. "What did you see?"  
  
"She's a beauty ain't she? I couldn't believe someone was trashing it in the river. I get to keep it, right? It's like sunken treasure. I found it..."  
  
"Who did you see? Can you identify the person?"  
  
"I already told them, it was dark...I was pretty far away. It was just some guy. So is it mine?"  
  
She grabs him hard and shakes him. "What did he look like? Was he alone? Was anyone else in the car?"   
  
"Let go of me. I told you it was dark. There was just one guy. He started the car and threw something inside. Then the car shot into the water. I thought it was a shame...a classic car like that."  
  
"Where did this guy go?"  
  
"I don't know. He just walked off...that way." he says pointing.  
  
The detective walks over and says, "Look...I only need one of you helping with this."  
  
Cruz says, "That would be me."  
  
"I was dispatched here." Faith informs her.  
  
"Yah...by me. I wanted to ask you what you knew about Boscorelli...where he may be. That's all. You're done here."  
  
"I don't know where he is." Faith says confused.  
  
"Ok...then you can go."  
  
"I'm not leaving till I know what happened." Faith informs her.   
  
"You have calls to take. This is my job to do. I'll keep you informed officer. You can go now."  
  
Gusler pulls her aside. "We should do a canvas."   
  
"What?" she says annoyed.  
  
"We should canvas the area. If he was carjacked, he may be injured somewhere nearby."  
  
"Yah...right. You're right." she says, trying to wrap her mind around what she should do. "I just gotta...hold on a sec." She runs to their RMP and radios in to central, asking if Bosco had reported or called in yet. The answer is no. She asks if anyone has tried to contact Bosco and she is told they have tried but have been unable to reach him so far. She tells them to contact the hospitals and if they find anything to let her know immediately.   
  
Having no other ideas, she follows Gusler as they walk the river and search the area. She knows this is useless, because if the car had been jacked, they wouldn't have dumped it in the same place they stole it from. After searching for a while in vain, she slaps Gusler in the arm and tells him to come with her.  
  
"We're wasting time. He wouldn't be here where the car was dumped."  
  
Steve follows her to the RMP. "So where are we going?"   
  
"Bosco's place. See if there's any sign of a struggle there. Or anything that will tell us if he even made it home last night. If he didn't...he may have been dumped anywhere along the way from the precinct to his house."  
  
Gusler smiles. "Good idea." He thinks to himself that he is in good hands...now that he is her partner. And at the same time, he feels a little bad for her. This is going to be hard on her.   
  
They drive over to Bosco's apartment and get no answer at the door. Gusler goes and gets the landlord to let them in. Once inside, there is little information. His bed is not made, but she doesn't believe that means he slept in it last night. She can't picture him to be the type that would make his bed every day after waking up. There is a photograph of him leaning against his car on his bedroom mirror. She takes that with her.  
  
She plays his answering machine and hears two messages from the precinct, her message from this afternoon, and two others, one from a girl and the other from a bill collector. Both of them were from the day before. There is a pair of jeans and a t-shirt crumpled on the floor, and she knows it was not the outfit he was wearing yesterday. The clothes he was wearing yesterday are not here, hinting to her that he never made it home last night.  
  
She goes into his kitchen. Gusler follows, not really sure of what she is doing. She opens his refrigerator. "What are you looking for?" Gusler asks confused.  
  
"I don't know...I just..." She pauses and looks into his fridge, then closes the door. "There were eggs and milk in his car. And a loaf of bread."  
  
"What?"   
  
"When they pulled the car out of the water, it had some groceries in the front seat. We have to find where he bought them."  
  
She drives back to the precinct and checks again to see if he has called in, and then she calls the detectives that were on the case. She questions them about the contents of his car, and they confirm that he bought groceries last night. The receipt shows it was at 11:51 pm from Weaver's Deli. Then she finds out from them what time the call was made about the car going into the river. The call was made at 1:02.  
  
Gusler sits across from her at the desk. "So what does that mean? What have we got so far?"  
  
"Ok...he time stamped at 11:15. Then figure 15 minutes to get dressed. He pulled out about 11:30 and went to get groceries at Weaver's Deli. He checked out at 11:51. Then an hour and ten minutes later someone rolls his car into the river." She looks at him sadly. "We got nothen. Anything could have happened in that hour plus. This is useless."  
  
"No...don't give up. Lets drive from the deli to the river and see how long it takes. We can narrow down the time." he tells her.  
  
[Later]  
  
They pull up to the river where just a few hours ago Bosco's car had been pulled out of the water. It took 22 minutes to drive here from the deli. Faith finds the bum that had called in about the car and she questions him further. She finds out that he called in from a bar around the corner. It takes them almost 15 minutes to walk there. So they have roughly 30 minutes to account for. They figure that Bosco must have been dumped out somewhere nearby. Who ever took his car, couldn't have driven him more than 15 minutes away from the river, to stay within that time frame.   
  
They drive for fifteen minutes and note their location. Faith pulls out a map. They make a mark at the spot the car was dumped, then a mark at the location they are now, then make a circle using the car dump off as the center, and their present location as the radius. Slowly they drive all the areas that fall within that circle, searching behind buildings and alley ways. Any one she runs across, she shows them the picture of Bosco's car and asks if anyone saw it the night before. They come up empty.   
  
*****  
  
Bosco wakes to find he is in the dark and very much in pain. He tries to move but his arms are cuffed behind his back and a sharp pain shoots through his shoulder. He moans out loudly and the sound resonates yhrough the empty vat he is laying in. He opens his eyes to the pitch black, and tries to realize where he is and remember what happened.   
  
He moves his leg, and a more severe pain grabs him and he yells out. He knows his leg is broken. The yell makes him cough. His back aches and his chest feels as though it is splitting open, but he can't stop the spasms that are making him cough. In his mouth he gets the metallic taste of blood. He cries out into the dark for help. The empty echo of his voice makes him feel even more alone.   
  
His voice is small and raspy as he yells, "Help! Someone...help me." He grimaces as his chest is seized with more pain. It hurts now when he breathes. He tries to call out again, but he can't inhale enough breath to make a sound. He sees sparkles of light in front of his eyes, and he feels the darkness begin to spin. A wave of nausea sweeps through him and then he looses consciousness.   
  
[Meanwhile]  
  
Cruz has been working with the detectives all day. They search the car but the only clues they find are the groceries with the receipt. They also notice the broken dome light that tells them that someone must have been in his car with him. Cruz speaks to the grocery clerk that was working the night before, and she remembers Bosco, but remembers nothing unusual or any one else who may have been inside or outside of the store at that time. She also checks the hospital for any John Doe patients, and calls his mom, but gets an answering machine. They have run out of leads.  
  
Faith and Gusler searched all day and came up empty too. It is now the end of their shift.   
  
"What do you wanna do?" Gusler asks her.  
  
"About what?" she asks him without averting her eyes from the area she is searching.  
  
"It's eleven o'clock. Shift's over."  
  
"It is?" She gives him a worried look. "How could it be that late...we didn't even get through the map."  
  
"If you want to continue...I'll stay."  
  
"No, Steve. I'll take you back. Lets just finish this street."  
  
"I don't mind...I just think we should let the Lieutenant know what we're doing."   
  
[Back in the abandoned building]  
  
Bosco stirs but doesn't regain full consciousness. As the night gets colder, his body shivers, but not just from the cold, he is also in shock. He has a broken leg and four broken ribs, along with a dislocated shoulder and head trauma from the fall. His lips are stained with dried blood that he had coughed up earlier. His condition is deteriorating quickly.  
  
[55-David is still searching]  
  
Faith and Gusler drive through all the areas surrounding the river. It is now four in the morning, and Faith has no more neighborhoods to drive through. She stops the car, and looking around she says, "Lets search these buildings."  
  
"Now?" Gusler says in a tired voice.  
  
"Why...you got a better idea?" She snaps.  
  
"How about a good nights rest first. We can start again in the morning."  
  
She looks at her watch and realizes the time. "Steve...I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was this late."  
  
"I don't care...I'm just...I'm spent. I think if we start fresh tomorrow we can cover more ground." He puts his hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, but...you've done enough for one night."  
  
Reluctantly she agrees. She starts the car and heads back to the precinct.   
  
[Gusler's apartment]  
  
Stan climbs into bed. He is tired but he can't shut his mind off. He sighs out loud, and smiles as he thinks about his day, riding with Faith. Finally. He climbs out of bed and removes the box from his closet. He opens it and takes out Bosco's badge. He grins as he remembers the look on Bosco's face as he fell away out of sight.   
  
The smile fades from his face as he thinks of Faith and what she must be feeling right now. He can't let this drag out too long. The sooner they get past this, the sooner she will except him as a partner and then his life will be good. It will be just what he always hoped it would be.  
  
He lays back on his bed and his mind drifts back to when he got his first job in high school. He was as excited then, as he is now. The interview was really terrifying, but he got through it. And in fact, the boss was really impressed with his grades in school, and after they chatted for a while, he gave Steve the job.   
  
He was now an usher in the local Cinema. It was better than good...it was a great job. He not only got to see all the latest movies, but he could get friends in free and soon he became a bit popular. He knew most of the kids that were being friendly to him were just doing it for the free movies, but they were being nice to him...for the first time ever. And he didn't care why.  
  
It wasn't long before he worked his way up from ticket taker to reel man. He got to sit in the room upstairs, run the previews, start the movie and then all he had to do was make sure that the movie ran with no interruptions. He was important.  
  
He took a shine to one of the girls at the candy counter. Her name was Chrissie. He was working up the nerve to ask her out. He had already talked to her a few times. She was shy, and pretty in a plain sort of way. She was also very good at her job. There was a dance coming up at the school, and Steve had never gone to one, but he was planning to go this time and take her with him as his date.  
  
Then it happened.   
  
It was a Friday night. The eight o'clock showing of Jurassic Park. Steve had started the movie, and there was a knock at the door of the projection room. It was the other workers. They had all come up to hang with him, including Chrissie. He was so proud.   
  
Steve let them in and was really excited. He was feeling like a big shot until one of the guys pulled out a six pack, a pint of Jack Daniels, and a doobie. He told them no...they couldn't party up here. He would get in trouble. After debating it for a while, the other workers ganged up on him. When Chrissie, stuck up for him, they turned on her too.   
  
They locked the two of them in a closet together after removing their clothes, then proceeded to party. No one noticed that the clip holding the reel on the projector was open, and halfway through the movie, it fell off the reel. The movie got stuck on a frame and the heat from the projector melted it.   
  
On the screen in the theatre, the movie suddenly froze, and the audience watched it bubble up until the screen went blank. After several minutes the audience began shouting and throwing things at the screen. By the time the partying employees noticed, the theatre was in an uproar. They all slipped out of the room before the manager burst in and caught Steve and Chrissie, naked in the closet with beer, Jack Daniels, and marijuana.  
  
They were both fired. Chrissie, although she knew it wasn't Steve's fault, never talked to him again. Her parents tried to have him arrested, and the others got off Scott free. And of course, they were both the laughing stock of the senior class.   
  
The only thing that overshadowed Steve's anger at them for ruining the best job he ever had and the popularity he had for the first time, was the embarrassment he felt over humiliating her...his first possible date...by not defending her. That was when Steve first thought about being a cop. So he could defend the abused.  
  
And while Steve thought about it...Stan took an action.   
  
He went into chemistry class early one day, and while he was alone, he substituted black powder, for a non combustible element that two of the boys from the cinema were going to be working with that day in class. When they got to the part of their experiment where they had to heat it up, the whole thing exploded in their faces.   
  
The explosion was much bigger than Stan expected. Both boys and several other students were burned badly, and sprayed with glass from broken beakers. The room nearly caught on fire. Students were running and screaming and the fire alarms went off. It was way out of his control.  
  
Stan ducked out, leaving Steve there in shock, panicking as he watched the other students running and screaming on fire. Steve watched in horror. He couldn't move. He covered his ears from the screams and from the alarms ringing. It got louder and louder. It wouldn't stop.  
  
Suddenly he sits up in bed...shaking and sweating to the sound of his alarm clock.  
  
****** 


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I still don't own Third Watch or any of the characters from the show.  
  
Author's Note: Man I was overwhelmed by your reviews. Thanks so much. Don't stop now...I love hearing what you think of the story.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Nine~  
  
[The next day. 55-David are on patrol.]  
  
Faith and Gusler go right back searching the areas that fall within the circle. They are now searching the buildings. She starts feeling the hopelessness sinking in. They have reached an area of abandoned buildings, and there is no one around to question and so many places he could have been injured and dumped off...and Gusler made sure she started searching the wrong area, to ensure that by the time they find him, Bosco will be dead.  
  
Then they get a call on the radio. '55-David respond.'  
  
Faith answers. "This is 55-David."  
  
The Lieutenant's voice comes back over the radio. 'Faith...we got a call reporting that someone just tried to use Bosco's credit card. I'm sending the closest unit. I thought you'd want to know.'  
  
"What location?"   
  
'Crest View Liquor store. 117 Crest Avenue.'  
  
"We're only a few blocks from there...we'll take it."  
  
She runs to the car and Gusler follows. As they drive there, he looks at her questionably. "How did the credit card company know to call?"  
  
"I took a chance and reported his cards stolen. I told the card company if anyone tries to use the cards, to notify the 55 at once."  
  
"Man...that's brilliant. Who ever has his cards must know where he is." He says, trying to ensure the guilt is placed on someone...and away from himself.   
  
"Let's hope so."  
  
They drive quickly to the liquor store, and inside they find a bum arguing with the clerk. After the clerk had learned the card was stolen, he stalled ringing the man up, to give the police time to arrive.   
  
Faith asks the man where he got the card from. He tells her he found it. She frisks the man and finds Bosco's wallet.  
  
"Where did you get this?"  
  
"I found it on the ground...in an alley."  
  
"Where? Which alley?"  
  
"A few blocks over. I didn't steal it. Honest."  
  
"When did you find it?"  
  
"This afternoon. It was just laying there in the middle of the alley."  
  
"And instead of turning it in, you decide to use the credit cards." She says.  
  
"Hey...what do I look like the lost and found?"  
  
"Well...you look like the lost anyway." Gusler says. "You don't believe this guy, do you? We should take him in for more questioning."  
  
"C'mon..." Faith says pulling the guy by his coat. "You're gonna show us where exactly you found this."  
  
As they drive to the place where the wallet was found, Faith calls over the radio for help to canvas the area. Gusler is getting a bit nervous. They are getting too close, too quickly.   
  
"Do you really trust this guy to be telling us the truth? We could be going on a wild goose chase."  
  
"He don't know anything. If he had anything to do with it, he would have kept Bosco's car." Faith informs him.  
  
The man directs them to the place, and Faith stops in the exact same spot that Bosco stopped two nights ago. They climb out and look around. The place is a haven of abandoned buildings. Bosco could be anywhere.  
  
"Did you see this car or this guy out here last night?" she asks showing him the picture.  
  
"I was out of sorts last night. I sleep a block over. I was passed out most of yesterday. I found the wallet this afternoon. That's all I know."  
  
She lets the guy go, then scans the area. "Where the hell are you, Bosco?" she says sadly. "Gusler, lets split up and search the buildings."  
  
"Ok...I'll search this one." He points to the building that Bosco is in.   
  
Suddenly there's the sound of sirens approaching. It is four units from the 55 and soon after they arrive, two units from the 63rd arrive with the detectives that are on the case. The detective steps over to Faith.  
  
"I got word from your Lieutenant that you found his wallet. We thought you could use some help."  
  
"Yah...that's great...thank you. The wallet was found in this alley. He could be in any one of these buildings."  
  
The detective takes over, and lays out a search plan. Gusler is told to search one of the buildings with Faith, and he sends one of his own units into the building where Bosco has been left for dead. Gusler can only hope now that the fall killed him.   
  
Gusler follows Faith towards the building they were assigned to search, but he takes a peek at the building that he knows Bosco is in. It is possible that they may not look in the vat that Bosco fell into. If they don't find him today, Gusler knows that he still must be found eventually, or Faith will be forever waiting for the return of her missing partner. He needs her to have closure in order for her to accept him completely, as a partner.  
  
He looks at her as they walk. She looks so worried and sad. Otherwise, riding with her has been such a pleasure. She is so easy to talk to, and protective, not just of him, but for both of them in any situation they enter, and also for the victim. She loves her job, and it's no wonder that Bosco loved working with her.   
  
They enter the building and find it is dangerously run down. The door creaks loudly as they force it open. Shining her flashlight across the room, she lets out a deep disappointed sigh. The building has mountains of discarded junk strewn throughout haphazardly.   
  
Faith walks up to a conveyor belt and climbs over the top. On the other side, she finds she is at an impasse with a pile of skids. As she looks for a way around them, Gusler works his way around the room to her left. He comes to a tow motor that has been stripped for parts, and climbing through it, reaches a doorway to a hall.   
  
Faith gets around the skids, and ends up at a labyrinth of metal catwalk that has fallen from above. She shines her light to the ceiling, and finds there is a huge hole in the roof that has been letting the elements in, rusting the twisted metal. Climbing through it will be quite hazardous. But before she climbs in, the radio sends out a tone and the voice of an officer she doesn't recognize announces that he has found the victim.  
  
The radio comes alive with conversation, but Faith just turns and heads back the way she came in. Steve also responds by heading back to the entrance, knowing that Faith will go straight to where they found Bosco. Over the radio, they are calling for a bus on a rush, suggesting that the victim is alive.   
  
Steve can hear Faith scrambling through the rubble heading back out of the building, and he hurries to try and catch her. She reaches the door and as she enters the alley, she yells out to the detective in charge.  
  
"Where is he? Did they find him? Where are they?"  
  
The detective points to the building, and Faith runs over there, along with most of the other searchers, emerging from their search areas. She enters the building shining her flashlight and calling out to find where they are. She spots an officer in the far corner, trying to open a metal door to a large silo.   
  
"He's in here. We can't get the door open."  
  
Faith shines her light to the second floor, to where another officer is looking down into the huge vat. She calls to him, "Can you see him? Is he alright?"  
  
"He isn't responding. But I think I heard him moan. I think he's alive."  
  
*****  
  
The building is full of officers now, and they are searching for something to pry the door open to the vat. Outside the sound of sirens approaching fills the air.  
  
Sully runs out and meets the firemen as they pull up, calling to them that they have a victim trapped in a metal container. They will need something to cut it open.  
  
Faith watches worriedly as they saw through the side of the metal container. The blade spits out sparks as it screams through the rusted container. It seems to take forever, and the sound is so loud it makes her cringe, but she can't walk away. She needs to be there the second they get it open.  
  
Finally the saw cuts out and they pull open a metal flap that they cut into the side. Doc and Carlos rush in, and despite the suggestion that she wait and give them room, Faith follows them in. She calls his name as she kneels down beside him, but he doesn't respond.   
  
The paramedics go to work immediately. "I've got a weak pulse. Someone get these cuffs off of him." Doc orders.  
  
Faith reaches in with the key to the cuffs. "Be careful...don't move him." he warns. She unlocks the cuffs as Doc and Carlos hold his arms so there is no sudden movement when his wrists are released. They gently lay Bosco's arms to his side.  
  
"Lets get a collar on him." Doc tells Carlos. Then he looks up and asks, "How did he get in here? Did he fall from the top?"   
  
"Yah...he must have been pushed in. The door was rusted shut." Faith informs him.  
  
"How long has he been in here?"  
  
"He's been missing since the night before last. Almost forty eight hours. Help him Doc."  
  
He gently clamps a collar around Bosco's neck. "Ok...I wanna roll him...let's get a board under him."  
  
An orange board is passed in to the vat. "Ok...we're gonna roll him onto his back. Yokas, you slide the board under him." Doc instructs Faith.   
  
The two paramedics gently roll him over. He has a bad bruise and swelling on his forehead above his left eye. Doc checks his pupils as Carlos takes his vital signs. "Bosco. Bosco...can you hear me?" Doc says leaning in close to his face. Faith calls to him too, but neither of them get a response.   
  
Carlos calls out, "Breathing is twenty four and shallow."  
  
Doc lifts his eye lids and flashes his pen light back and forth in his eyes. His steel blue eyes look blank, and Faith calls to him again. He gives no response, not even to blink from the light.  
  
"Is he alright, Doc? Is he gonna be ok?" Faith asks desperately.  
  
Doc does not answer her. He calls out to Carlos, "Pupils equal and responsive."   
  
"B. P. is ninety over fifty. Looks like he may have internal bleeding." Carlos shoots back.  
  
"His heart rate is only fifty two...could be hypothermia."   
  
"Should I intubate him?"  
  
"No...give him ten liters of oxygen, then start an I.V." Doc proceeds to run his hands along Bosco's arms and chest. "His left shoulder is dislocated, I felt it when we rolled him. He must have fallen on this side...I'm betting he has fractured ribs from the fall." He opens Bosco's shirt revealing a large dark bruise over his shoulder, and under his arm along his side. His shoulder is visibly swollen.  
  
He runs his hands down Bosco's legs and finds his right leg is fractured. He tears his pant leg open, and his leg is swollen to twice it's size below the knee. "He has a broken tip-fib...but it's not an open fracture. Let's get an air splint on it and get him to the bus. We need to transport him fast."  
  
Carlos quickly applies the splint. They carefully strap him to the board and pass him out to the firemen. He is placed on a gurney and hurried out to the bus. Faith climbs in behind them. Gusler calls to her, "I'll meet you at the hospital." but she doesn't answer him as the doors are slammed shut and the bus rushes off.  
  
Emergency is fairly slow, and other than a few people in the waiting area, the place is mostly filled with cops and EMTs milling around, waiting for word on Bosco. One by one they are called away to other emergencies, and soon Faith is alone with Gusler and the Lieutenant.   
  
Faith is sitting in a chair, slouched down with her hand to her face. She rubs her lips inadvertently with her finger as she stares distantly at the floor, replaying some memory in her mind. No doubt it involves Bosco and some episode the two of them went through together.   
  
Gusler is beginning to feel insignificant as he watches her...pining over that arrogant, self centered, asshole. He wishes now that he had taken better care to insure Bosco's demise. But for some reason he isn't worried about Bosco waking to tell the world what had happened to him. He looked to be in pretty bad shape...and he is confident that it is only a matter of time before the doctor emerges to give Faith the heart breaking news.  
  
Faith had suggested earlier that he could leave if he wanted to...there was no sense in him waiting around. She told him the Lieutenant could assign him another duty. But Gusler was just as anxious as her, to hear the prognosis. And more than that, he needs to be here for her when she gets the bad news. That's what partners do.  
  
Feeling antsy, he gets up and stretches. Faith doesn't look up. In fact she doesn't even seem to be aware that he is still here for her, so he goes to the lounge and fixes her a cup of coffee. Surely she will notice this offering. It will be a while before she starts to treat him like the partner that he plans to be. But it will come.   
  
He walks up to her and she is startled out of her thoughts. "I got this for you. I figured you'd need it. It's been a long day." She thanks him blankly and sets it down on the table next to her. "Are you hungry? I could get you something. A sandwich maybe?"  
  
"No...thanks Steve. How long has it been? Shouldn't we have heard something by now?"  
  
Just then a woman rushes into emergency and is frantically asking questions through tears at the desk. Faith says under her breath, "Rose" and slowly approaches her. The woman grabs Faith by her forearms and starts crying harder and spewing questions.  
  
"Faith...my God what happened? Is he ok? Where is he...take me to him. I just got back. I was visiting my sister out of town...I just got the messages...I got a cab and..." Her words break off and become uncontrolled sobbing.  
  
Faith guides her to a row of chairs and sits with her. She tells her that the doctor is still with him. It looks like it was a car jacking and that she thinks he'll be ok. She continues talking to her, and although Gusler can't hear what she is saying, it sounds very comforting and "Rose", who Gusler assumes is Bosco's mother, calms down and regains her composure.  
  
Gusler is standing there watching her in awe. He is amazed at how quickly she reacts to a situation, takes control and calms it down. He will learn a lot from her. He pictures Steve, in any given situation, confused and rattled, waiting for someone else to take the lead. Never sure enough of himself to know what to do. But that is all changing now.   
  
"Mrs. Boscorelli, right? Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Gusler offers handing her a tissue.  
  
"Thank you." she says sniffing.  
  
He runs off and fixes her a cup, feeling proud of himself for actually taking an action. When he returns with it, she is blowing her nose, so Faith takes it from him. The doctor comes walking in and calls out for the family of Maurice Boscorelli. Faith sets the cup down and helps Rose to her feet.   
  
"I'm doctor Wezorick. We have him stabilized, but I'm afraid his condition is very serious. He fell from a pretty good height and landed on his left side and shoulder. He has a broken collar bone, and his shoulder was dislocated, tearing apart the tendons and muscles. He'll need surgery as soon as we have him stabilized, so we can put it all back together. He also suffered some chest trauma. The x-rays show that he has four broken ribs and also a broken leg. I'm concerned about how long he had been left in this condition...he may have developed an infection in his lungs from his rundown state and lack of immediate treatment, so I put him on antibiotics, and hopefully, if he starts to show the signs...fever...low oxygen level...we can get it cleared quickly. He will need surgery on the leg too, but we can't operate until we are sure there is no infection in his system. The good news is, there was no internal injuries. But the injury I'm most worried about is his head trauma. We don't know the severity of it yet. We did a CAT scan, and there is no swelling or bleeding, but right now he is in a coma."  
  
Rose lets out a frightened whine, and the doctor quickly continues. "It's not uncommon for the body to shut down and go into a coma when it's been through this kind of trauma. What we need to determine, is whether the coma was caused by the head trauma or whether it is just a protective reaction. And that...we won't know for a few days."  
  
"When do you think he will come out of it?" Faith asks.  
  
"We don't know. He could wake up in a few days, or a few hours. We want to keep a close eye on him for the next forty eight hours. But all things considered, he's quite lucky."   
  
"Can I go see him?" Rose asks.  
  
"Of course. He just came out of X-ray and they are taking him up to the ICU. As soon as they get him settled in, you can go in for a few minutes. Why don't you go up to the fifth floor and wait. They'll come and get you when you can see him."  
  
Gusler stands there in disbelief. This was not at all what he was expecting to hear. What will he do if this jerk recovers? What if he remembers who did this? Suddenly there is a hand on his shoulder and he turns, startled to see the Lieutenant standing there.   
  
"Steve...why don't you drive me back to the house. There is nothing more we can do here."   
  
Gusler looks around as he says, "Well...I got Faith...I can't leave her..." His words stop abruptly as he realizes that she and Rose have walked out and are stepping onto the open elevator. All that remains is the two full cups of coffee that he bought for the both of them, sitting side by side, yet untouched.   
  
"C'mon...drive me back. I think Yokas will be here for a while. You may as well go home." The Lieutenant tells him kindly.   
  
Gusler is gripped with anger. This is not how he wanted this night to end at all. He wants to hurry upstairs, to be with Faith, to find out if Bosco will wake up...but mostly, to hear what he has to say when he does. But for the moment...he needs to just stay cool. He takes one more glance at the two full cups of coffee on the table...his offering completely ignored.   
  
***** 


	10. Chapter Ten

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. And I want to give a personal thanks to Faith-in-Faith (she knows why), to Lisa for being my best (and worst) critic, and to Mattycakes just for loving Gusler unconditionally.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Ten~  
  
[Two days after finding Bosco]  
  
Gusler is sitting in the RMP mindlessly watching the people passing on the sidewalk as they drive along. Faith is quiet and Stan sneaks a peek at her occasionally as she drives. It has been two days since Bosco was found and taken to the hospital. Two days of nervous waiting. He feels like a defendant, holding his breath while the jury deliberates, deciding his fate on what direction his life will take. The silence is unnerving. The waiting is like a boulder on his chest, holding him down from where he wants to go...from being the cop he wants to be, which he realizes more than ever now...is Faith Yokas' partner.   
  
He has toyed with the idea of paying Bosco a visit in the hospital, and putting an end to this once and for all. But he is afraid that he won't get away with it. He has been lucky so far. This is not the time to be making stupid mistakes. As hard as it may be, he needs to be patient and let this play out. He can not afford to have them investigating a murder in the hospital.  
  
He peeks at Faith again. Her eyes are on the road, but her mind is elsewhere, and he can't pretend any longer that she is actually here on patrol with him. Stan knows that in her mind, she is on some call with Bosco, that pain in the ass...fucking with him even now, from his hospital bed. Not only occupying her mind, but his own as well. The silence becomes so loud, that he finally has to end it and put into words what both of them are thinking about.  
  
"Did you go to the hospital today? Is there any change in his condition?" Stan asks.  
  
"Yah...I went this morning. Nothing's changed. It's really taking it's toll on his mom. I hope he comes out of it soon...for her sake."   
  
"And for yours too." he adds, then quickly looks out the window.  
  
"Me?" She looks over at him but he continues to stare straight ahead. Obviously she has been so worried about Bosco, that she must be making it terrible to ride with her all day. Poor Steve must be bored out of his mind. "You know Steve...I never said thank you for all your help."  
  
"Help with what?"  
  
"Searching for Bosco with me. You put in a lot of time...and I want you to know that I appreciate that."  
  
He glances down guiltily. "Oh...that was nothen."  
  
"No...it was a lot. You didn't have to..."  
  
"We're partners, right?" He looks her in the eye. "That's what partners do. You'd do that for me too."  
  
She looks at him a little surprised. "Right. Sure...I would...but, I still wanted to say thanks." She gets an uneasy feeling, but she can't quite place her finger on why.  
  
Maybe because she doesn't really believe that she would have gone through quite that much trouble to help Steve. Of course she would search and do everything she could to find him, but probably not as urgently as she did for Bosco. But that thought doesn't shed a light on her uneasiness. No...it's something else, but she can't quite grasp what.  
  
The radio sends out a tone and begins to speak, and the both of them grab for it. She lets Gusler take it as they listen to the call, sending them to a disturbance at a bar. Gusler answers back that 55-David is responding and turns on the lights and siren. They hurry off to the location.  
  
They pull up in front of the bar to find seven motorcycles parked out front, along with several trucks and a couple cars in the parking lot. Looking at the windows, beyond the flashing neon beer lights, the bar looks full, and it's a good sign that there are no people running and screaming out the door...no chairs busting through the glass, but still, they will be outnumbered inside of the establishment, so Faith decides to call for backup.  
  
Gusler on the other hand, hops out of the car and starts walking confidently towards the door of the bar. He is about to explode from the frustration of the Bosco situation, and if he can't release his pent up anger on him, a drunk biker is the next best thing. This is just what the doctor ordered, and he ignores Faith as she yells for him to wait.  
  
He pulls out his night stick as he pauses momentarily to peek in the window to get a better idea of what is going on in the bar. He can see there are two man laying on the floor, beneath them a lot of blood, and two others are in a stand-off near the pool table, one holding a large hunting knife and the other holding a broken pool stick. Five others are standing close to them, and are probably involved in the altercation, and everyone else is watching the two men as they slowly circle around one another.   
  
The guy with the pool stick looks wild eyed and scared, and is most likely friends with the two fallen dirt bags. The guy with the knife however, is grinning and confident, as he goads the other man on, challenging him with, "c'mon...let's see what you got. Let's dance mother fucker." This man is the one he needs to address. The guy is very large, and looking around, it is hard to tell who, if anyone, is on this lunatic's side.   
  
Gusler walks in, and although the crowd looks in his direction, neither of the two men facing off to each other seem to have noticed him. He walks towards the men, and he can hear Faith enter behind him, softly calling him and telling him to slow down. Next to Gusler on the right, is a round table loaded with full and empty beer bottles. In one smooth motion, he swings the club through the bottles, sending beer and broken glass in a spree at the two men.  
  
He now has their attention, as the cue stick guy ducks and covers his face, but the guy with the knife turns towards Stan, still wearing the shit eating grin, and says, "I believe you owe me a beer little man."  
  
Stan grins back at him, pleased that the guy is not backing down. He points the night stick at him, takes a step closer and says, "Well you're gonna have to drink it with a straw, coz when I'm done with you, they'll be wiring your jaw closed."   
  
Behind him, Faith is close to panic. She can't believe what Steve is doing. She has no confidence in him handling this situation, and he is going out of his way to inflame it even more. She needs to stop Gusler and take control before he gets them both killed. She pulls out her gun and yells for everyone to put their weapons down, step back and face the wall. She quickly steps up next to Gusler, and points the gun back and forth at each of the men, and orders them again to get against the wall. Slowly everyone does, except for the madman with the knife.   
  
"Drop the weapon...Now! And get back against the wall... Do it!" Faith yells louder, and hopes that Steve pulls his gun out as well...but he doesn't.  
  
"I don't take orders from bitches...and I certainly ain't afraid of no lesbian cop." He turns his attention away from Gusler, and is now pointing the knife towards Faith. He is smiling at her still, like he is secretly bullet proof, and takes a step towards her.   
  
Faith stands her ground and says, "I'm not telling you again, put the weapon down. I will not hesitate to shoot you."  
  
"Pushy bitch." He growls, then turns towards Gusler. "She must walk all over you, ya little..."  
  
Before he can finish the sentence, Gusler makes a series of swings with the night stick, quickly and efficiently unarming then disabling the man in the flash of an eye. The first swing is an upper cut that bats the knife out of his hand, launching it deep into the ceiling tile, the second is a back hand, that clips the guy in the ear, stunning him into silence, next he does a forward downswing across the mans belly, knocking the wind out of him, and the final blow is an upswing across the back of his knee taking his legs out from under him.  
  
The large man drops to his knees, but before he falls forward to the floor, Stan grabs him by his hair, and tilts his head back. He places the stick across the guys throat, and jerks his head back, pinning him tightly against his chest by the throat, and cutting off his wind pipe.   
  
"I think you owe the lady an apology." He suggests into the mans bleeding ear.  
  
"Fuck you." The guy manages to growl out.  
  
"Try again." Stan says, snapping the stick tighter across his throat.  
  
"Steve...let 'em go." Faith whispers, too shocked to really find her voice.   
  
Through a series of coughs and gurgles, the guy finally spits out the word, "Sorry."   
  
"That's better. Nobody talks to my partner like that." he growls at the man. He then lets the guy collapse to the floor.  
  
Faith stares at him, her mouth actually open. She has never seen this side of Steve. This is more like something Bosco would have done, although she doubts that even he 'would' have. But then she quickly gathers herself, and places her focus back onto the men against the wall, who have all turned to watch.  
  
"What the hell are you looking at." She yells at them. "Get back against the wall." She gives a worried look in Gusler's direction, then places her hand against the back of one of the men, pushing him hard against the wall, and begins frisking him. Behind her, she hears Gusler speak to the barely conscious guy, and suddenly that uneasy feeling she had before, comes back, and this time she knows what it is.   
  
Gusler says to the guy, "Anyone who disrespects my partner...will answer to me." He called her "his" partner...like he did earlier, and she gets the feeling that Steve thinks Bosco will never be back. That's what is bothering her, that Gusler is confident the two of them are going to be partners from now on.   
  
Soon their back up arrives along with the paramedics and eventually, her and Steve are heading back to the house with their prisoners. She considers having a talk with him about his behavior, but she isn't really sure how to approach it. She decides to give it more thought, and talk to him when she has a better grasp on exactly what happened. She really doesn't want to ruin his new found bravery, and he actually handled himself quite well, but he could just as easily had gotten them both killed.  
  
Upon arriving at the house, the Lieutenant notifies her that the hospital had called. Bosco has awakened from his coma. The detective from the 63rd along with Cruz, have gone there to question him on what happened.  
  
"Oh...thank God. So he's gonna be alright?"  
  
"I don't have the details, but he's awake...I think the worst is over." He says with a reassuring smile.  
  
"I'd really like to get over there Lieu." She looks at him pleadingly.  
  
Swersky looks at his watch. "You have almost three hours left to your shift. But...get these perps processed, and you can leave for the night. But don't half ass the paperwork. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yah boss...thanks. C'mon Steve."  
  
Gusler stands there, shocked at the fact that the little prick is gonna pull through. A hundred thoughts run through his head. What if he's talking. What will he do when they come to question him about it. How the hell is he gonna get out of this mess?  
  
"Steve! Let's go...I wanna get out of here."   
  
He looks at her and blankly says, "Yah...me too."  
  
*****[At the Hospital]*****  
  
Faith walks up to the open door of Bosco's hospital room and knocks softly with one knuckle. She steps in and sees Bosco's mom kiss him on his forehead, then turn to see who entered the room.   
  
"Faith...I'm glad you're here. Maurice is throwing me out. He wants me to go home, but I don't want to leave him alone."  
  
"He's right. You should go and get a good night's rest."  
  
"Well...now I can finally sleep knowing he's ok." She looks at him sweetly. "G'nite baby." She squeezes Faith's arm as she passes her, on her way to the door. "I'll be back tomorrow."   
  
"G'nite ma." He says sluggishly.  
  
Faith walks up and leans on the bed railing. "So...how ya feeling?"  
  
"Not bad." His eyes start to close and he forces them open again and smiles.  
  
"Really?" She says a bit surprised. "Well, they do have the best drugs here." She fixes the blanket up around his neck and says, "So what did the doctors say?"  
  
"My shoulder's screwed up." His voice is very groggy. "They said I got a broken leg and some broken ribs too...oh yah...an a hard head." He lets out a tired little snicker, which amuses her, then he continues. "I'm gonna be in here for a while, so they can keep an eye on my head...but I think that cute little nurse likes me...so I guess it's ok."  
  
"That's good...I'm glad you're ok."  
  
"They said that I was missing for a few days...that you didn't give up looking for me."  
  
"Everyone helped search." She tells him.  
  
"But they said you wouldn't go home."  
  
"I was worried about you. And poor Gusler...I dragged him through every alley and abandoned building in the city."  
  
His eyes slowly close, and again he drags them open. "Anyways...I just wanted to say thanks. You know." His words are barely audible, now.  
  
"Absolutely. So do you remember what happened?"  
  
"All I can remember is getting changed after our shift...and honestly...I don't even know if it's the right night that I'm remembering."  
  
"Did the doctors say if your memory will come back?"  
  
"They don't really know...it might. They told me it was a car jacking...that my car ended up in the river."  
  
"Yah...I'm sorry. I know you love that car."  
  
She smiles at him as his eyes finally win the battle and drop closed. She touches his cheek gently with her hand and says softly, "Good night Bos."   
  
***  
  
As she waits for the elevator, she glances at her watch. It's only nine fortyfive. She can get home early and surprise Fred...get some quality time with him. She presses the down button again impatiently, then changes her mind. She walks to the door marked "stairs" and as she flings it open and hurries through it, she collides with Gusler on the steps.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorr...Steve? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Faith...I was...I uh...I was coming to see how Bosco is." He stammers.  
  
"Oh...I didn't think...I guess I didn't think you were that..."  
  
"Well...I spent two days searching for him...I guess I feel involved."  
  
"Of course." She gives him an embarrassed smile. "That's nice...but I think he's asleep...he's been in and out. You can check..."  
  
"You know what...maybe I should wait till tomorrow. Let me walk you out. Can I give you a ride home?"  
  
"Yah that would be great...if you don't mind."  
  
***  
  
As he drives, Stan wonders if it was obvious to her that he was totally rattled when she ran into him on the stairs. He's pretty sure that he covered it well by saying he was there to visit Bosco, and why should she question that. She doesn't know how he really feels about that asshole. No...he is confident that she believes him.  
  
The bigger problem is, how the hell is he going to 'off' that little fucker now. He obviously hasn't talked yet, so it is urgent that he finish Bosco off while he is still in a delicate condition so it won't look like murder, and especially...before Bosco tells everyone who it was that attacked him.   
  
Stan waited on the stairs until visiting hours ended. He saw Faith leaving...she was waiting for the elevator. As soon as she was gone, he was going to slip into the room when no one was looking and suffocate him with a pillow. What the hell made Faith suddenly take the stairs. That Bastard Bosco, has to be the luckiest son-of-a-bitch.  
  
He debates whether or not he should go back and try it later, but now there is the problem of security cameras. It would be normal for him to be on them during visiting hours, but he will look terribly suspicious...if Bosco turns up dead in his room...and Steve is caught on camera sneaking into the hospital after hours.   
  
He looks over at his partner. She is so much more relaxed than she's been the past few days. She is looking out the window with a smile...no, it's more like...a look of serenity, rather than the worried frown she's had lately. He should feel glad for her. Hell...he should feel glad just for the fact that she is here with him. He is driving and she is riding in his car with him...like they're real friends...but just like every other good thing he's had in his life, it was never real...never really his.  
  
Every time he finds something that might be good, a girlfriend, a friend...a partner...it's only life teasing him with the fact that things are great for everyone else. But not him. She is going to go back to Bosco and there isn't a God damned thing he can do about it now. Bosco will probably tell everyone about Stan, and he will have to disappear again, returning Steve to his lonely, pathetic life.   
  
"What is it Steve?"  
  
Faith noticed him staring at her. Thinking quickly he says, "I was just wondering if you found out what actually happened to Bosco."  
  
"No. He doesn't remember anything."  
  
"Like amnesia?"  
  
"Not really. He just can't remember the last few days. The doctors say that's normal. We'll probably never catch the bastards that did it." She pauses reflectively for a moment. "I guess the mind has a way of protecting you...by forgetting the really bad things that happen."   
  
Stan thinks about that. She's right...he thinks about Steve...with no recollection of the box or how it always just seems to appear. He pictures him staring blankly at the items, with no recollection of what they represent or how they came to be. Bosco may never remember what happened, as well. This will give Stan time to come up with a fool proof plan to rid himself of Bosco...get him out of the way after this all blows over.   
  
Stan feels relief like he has never known before. Suddenly everything is alright. Just like every other problem Stan has solved for Steve, he will solve this one for himself. It will be a long time before Bosco can go back to work, and that will give him time to form a bond with Faith, and eliminate that contemptible, annoying little prick, once and for all.   
  
Faith looks over and she sees Gusler is smiling. Like a reflex, she smiles back at him. "What are you smiling about?"  
  
His face flushes as he says, "Nothing...I guess I'm just glad that this will have a happy ending."  
  
"Me too." Her smile fades as she glances out the window and fluffs her hair with her hand. "Ya know...I gotta admit though...I really thought for a while there, that I had lost my partner for good." She looks back at him with a sad smile.  
  
"I thought so too." he informs her.   
  
***** 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I still don't own Third Watch or any of the characters from the show.  
  
Author's note: I'm really glad that you are all enjoying this story. Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming, I really love hearing your thoughts on it.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Eleven~  
  
The next day Faith stops to visit Bosco before she goes in to work. He is sleeping when she walks in, so she just sits in the chair next to his bed. The left side of his forehead is swollen and purple, and in the middle is a big gash as though the swelling caused the flesh to burst. His eye is swollen closed and there is also large welt on his left cheek.   
  
His shoulder is bandaged, pinning his arm to his chest, and the bandage wraps around his body, disappearing under the blankets. His leg is in a cast and it is propped up on a bunch of pillows on top of the blanket. He looks pretty banged up and she is amazed that he even survived, laying in that building for two days in this condition.   
  
Nurse Proctor walks in and says hi to Faith.  
  
"Hey." She sits up in the chair. "He was sleeping...I didn't want to wake him."  
  
"It's time for his meds...and actually...he was so ornery last night that I don't feel the least bit guilty." She leans in close and calls to him. "Bosco...up and at 'em sunshine."  
  
Bosco opens his one good eye and growls at her. "Not you again. You're a pain in the ass, ya know that? Go away." He closes his eye, then quickly opens it again. "Wait...you got pain killers?"   
  
"Uh hunh. Along with your antibiotic."  
  
"I changed my mind...I love you."  
  
"Faith...you're a witness that he said that." Proctor says with a mischievous grin.  
  
He looks over and only half of his face smiles when he sees Faith. Even his smile looks painful. "Hey...I didn't hear you come in."   
  
"Well...you were sleepen. How ya feeling today?"  
  
"Like shit...shit that's been stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. There's a lot to be said for comas." His voice is soft and forced.  
  
"You're a lot more alert than you were last night. Do you remember I was here?"  
  
"I think so...when ma left, right?"  
  
"Yah. I can't stay long...I gotta get to work. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."  
  
"Pain killers...I have a different view of drug addicts now. How is work?"  
  
"Same as usual...a mix of morons, jag-offs, and idiots, with a sprinkle of normalcy here and there."  
  
"Who they got ya riden with?"  
  
"Gusler." she says dryly.  
  
"You must miss me terribly." He says with a painful grin.  
  
"Ya know what...actually...Gusler has been acting a lot like you lately."  
  
"Gusler? You mean because I was in a coma, right?"  
  
"No...I'm serious. He's been really...I don't know...different. Confident...pushy...he's scaren me. Did you know he's real good with a night stick?"   
  
"Gusler? No way."  
  
He took on this huge knife-wielding biker, and made him apologize for insulting me. He put him in the hospital. It was really..."  
  
"Flattering?" he suggests.  
  
"I was gonna say frightening. It's like I didn't know who he was. He became someone else. He is nothen like the Gusler I worked with before."  
  
"Well...maybe our little boy is growing up." She smiles at is comment, but he also detects a little worry.  
  
Just then, an orderly walks in. "Maurice Boscorelli? I'm Jim. I'm here to wheel you down to x-ray."   
  
Faith stands up. "I gotta get to work. I'll stop up if we have to bring any one here tonight."  
  
***  
  
[The precinct]  
  
The officers are walking out of roll call. Gusler calls out to Faith for her to get the radios and he'll meet her at the RMP. She shoots Gusler a glare, but then continues her conversation with Sully. The two of them are talking about someone they used to know. Ty gets into the conversation, and it carries on as they walk out to their RMPs.  
  
As Faith turns towards the drivers side of the cruiser, Gusler hurries up behind her, and puts his hand on her shoulder, halting her.  
  
"Whoa...I'm driven today. I've been doing all the paperwork, and frankly...it sucks." Then he briskly climbs in the drivers seat.   
  
Sully raises his eyebrows at her. "What is this...Bosco the sequel?"   
  
"Yah...and if he don't stop bossen me around, he's gonna end up like Bosco the original...in the hospital."  
  
Sully laughs and shakes his head. "Kids, huh? Somehow you bring out the child in people, Faith...must be the mom in you."  
  
Gusler drives them out of the lot and Faith calls them in as 10-98. She looks at him and gathers her thoughts. "Steve...I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday."  
  
He glances over and says, "Why...what happened yesterday?"  
  
"The call we took...the disturbance at the bar...the guy with the knife?"  
  
"Oh...you don't have to thank me." He grins shyly. "They got to learn...they can't talk to a police officer like that. Especially not..."   
  
She cuts him off. "No that's..." She glances down and exhales in frustration. "That's not what I wanted to talk about."   
  
He looks at her confused. "Well what then?"  
  
"It's the way you went storming into that situation. It was dangerous."  
  
"I had it all under control." He says nonchalantly.  
  
"No...ya didn't. You didn't wait for me. You didn't wait for backup..."  
  
He snickers like she said something silly. "I didn't need backup."  
  
"Yah ya did." She retorts, raising her voice. "We were out numbered, and at least two of them had weapons that we could see." She takes a breath and brings her voice to a calmer level and continues. "Look...you can't just go blowing into a situation like that. I need you to slow down and think. Assess the situation."   
  
"I did. I looked in the window before..."  
  
"I want you to assess it with 'me'." She says emphasizing the last word. "I'm your partner. I'm senior officer. We walk in together...or we don't walk in at all. I...will decide how we handle a situation...is that clear?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." he says quietly.  
  
The conversation is cut short by the radio sounding off. '55-David...we have a three car collision at 103 and Arthur.'   
  
Faith grabs the radio. "55-David...103 and Arthur." She hits the lights and siren, and they speed towards the accident.  
  
*******  
  
Sully and Davis are called to respond to a burglary in progress. They arrive at an apartment building, and on the sidewalk, a crowd has gathered, staring up and pointing at a guy that is sprawled out on the fire escape. He is laying on the steps about halfway down, covering his head and yelling for help as an old lady swats his head with a broom.   
  
"What the hell..." Sully says sourly.  
  
"This is gonna be interesting." Davis says sporting a grin. "Ok...step back everyone." he says, ushering the onlookers back by waving his hands.  
  
"Lady...stop that!" Sully yells up to them.   
  
The woman looks to be about seventy years old, with her white hair tied in a bun and wrapped with a hair net. She is wearing a flowered print house dress, and a bath robe over it, with an apron over the top of that. She has stockings on under white ankle socks with slippers on her feet.   
  
"This som-a-na-bitch...he robba me. I'm a gonna break his head." She continues whacking him on the head with the broom. "My Angelo...God resta his soul...he would akill you."   
  
A young man approaches the officers and explains the situation. "I'm the one who called. I live next door to Mrs. Cappillino. I heard all this commotion, and I ran over to her apartment to see if she was ok. She had gone down to the laundry room, and when she returned, this guy was in her apartment."  
  
"Do you know him?" Sully asks, as Ty pulls down the ladder to the fire escape and begins to climb up.  
  
"No. I've never seen him. He just broke in. She caught him inside and started screaming. When I heard that, I ran over and found her door was open. She was throwing things at him and he was running around the apartment, covering his head and looken for a way out...yelling that she was crazy, and hollering for her to stop. He was bleeding. When I stopped her from throwing things at him, he ran to the window and tried to climb down the fire escape. She grabbed her broom and went out after him. She hit him, and he went tumbling down...and she kept right after him. I was worried for her so I called you."  
  
"You were worried for her?" Sully says in mock surprise.   
  
Davis climbs up and starts wrestling the broom away from her. "Alright...that's enough ma'am. Let the police take care of it."  
  
"Get this crazy old lady off me. She's trying to kill me." He cries. "She hit me with the statue of a saint. I'm bleeden for Christ's sake. She tried to push me off the fire escape. I think my leg is broke."  
  
Davis can't help but smile. The man is in his late twenties, wearing a bandanna on his head, and a jean jacket over a Harley Davidson tee-shirt and torn jeans. He has tattoos on his knuckles that Davis can't identify, because of the blood running off his hand. His leg is caught in the rail of the fire escape, and his shin is swollen tight in his boot.  
  
"Sully...call for a bus. C'mon ma'am...go back inside. We'll take it from here."  
  
"He try to rob a helpless old awoman. He messa with the wrong lady." She bites down on the knuckle of her index finger and snarls at him.   
  
"I can see that. I'm sure he's sorry now." Davis says with a grin, as he guides her back up the fire escape. She turns to the guy one more time and spits at him.  
  
Inside, the place looks ransacked, with an over turned clothes basket, and laundry strewn all around. There are pieces of broken pottery and glass everywhere. It looks as though she threw everything she owned at him.  
  
Davis takes a report from her, with the help of her neighbor that called them, while Sully watches the paramedics administer first aid to the guy and carry him down to the ambulance.   
  
  
  
Soon they are at the hospital with the burglar, and while they wait for him to be treated, they decide to go up and visit Bosco.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey guys...thanks for stoppen up." Bosco says, his voice soft and sleepy.  
  
"No problem. We have some time to kill. How ya feelen?" Davis asks.   
  
"I'm pretty sore...but I'll live."  
  
"That was a close call. You must have someone watchen over you dude. Do you remember who did this to you?"  
  
"No. Nothen. Has there been any other car-jackings?"  
  
"None that I've heard of...but the detectives are looking into it." Davis says.  
  
"So how long are you gonna be laid up?" Sully asks him.  
  
"They said I could probably go home tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be out of work."  
  
"Faith misses you...Gusler is driving her nuts with his new personality." Davis informs him.   
  
"Stan?"  
  
"No...Steve Gusler." Sully corrects him.  
  
"Oh yah...right...Steve." Bosco looks puzzled. "I swear I thought he...never mind."  
  
"You should see the change in that guy. Remember how timid he used to be? Well, he's not any more. He's even ordering Faith around." Davis says with a smile. "She's always given him that look...ya know...the one she always gives you."  
  
"Yah...it's like he became you in your place." Sully adds dryly.  
  
"Yah...Faith said the same thing this morning. I find that hard to believe. Must be that worken with Martin did him some good. He must have taught Stan a thing or two."  
  
"You mean Steve...his name is Steve, right?" Davis asks.  
  
"Yah...I don't know...I seem to remember him telling me his name is Stan now."  
  
"Was it recently?" Davis asks grinning. "Coz...maybe he's going to one of those self-improvement classes and he changed his name with his personality." he says jokingly. "When did he tell you that?"  
  
Bosco shakes his head. "Damned if I can remember. It had to be recently...I never talk to the kid except for all the crap that just happened."  
  
"So you're having some memory loss, huh. Ya gotta keep an eye on those head injuries. They can be pretty serious." Sully warns him.  
  
"I didn't think I had long term memory loss...just those few days."  
  
"Well...we better get back...check on our perp. You get well." Davis says tapping Bosco's good shoulder lightly with his fist.   
  
*****  
  
[55-David is at the scene of the accident]  
  
Gusler pulls up, and Faith looks the scene over, calling for a bus. There are two vehicles...a mini van facing south, and a Chevy embedded into it's side facing north, in the middle of the intersection. The driver of the mini van is still inside, slumped forward and draped over her seatbelt, apparently unconscious. There appears to be children inside as well. The door to the Chevy is open and a man that appears to be the driver is standing next to it, with one hand on the hood to steady himself, and holding his head with the other.   
  
The third vehicle involved is a pickup truck, in front of the other two vehicles and resting against a light pole, facing east. The passenger's side of the truck is pushed in, and there are two people standing in front of the driver's open door, helping the driver. Faith notices right away that there are beer cans on the ground under the truck.   
  
Faith heads over to the van, and yells for Gusler to check on the truck driver. She calls over her radio for a bus to come to this location.   
  
As Gusler nears the truck, he hears the people arguing with the driver to stay in his seat. When they see him approaching they step aside, and a young girl offers him some information about the accident.   
  
"Thank God you're here. This guy is trying to leave." From inside the truck, Gusler hears the man yelling obscenities in a slur, as the girl continues. "He drove right through a red light and that van hit him. As the van spun, that car slammed into it."  
  
Stan ducks down and leans into the car. "Sir are you ok?" He notices a large goose egg on the man's head, and his windshield has crystallized around a point of impact directly over the steering wheel. "Were you wearing your seatbelt sir?"  
  
"I don't need any help, God damn it. Lemmy outta here." he growls as he tries to climb out of the truck.  
  
Gusler puts his hand against the man's shoulder to keep him in the truck and asks, "Have you been drinking?" The question is unnecessary, because he can smell beer on the man's breath.  
  
The young woman offers more information. "When I opened his door to see if he was ok...all these cans fell out."   
  
The man realizes he's now talking to a police officer and his tone changes. "I hit my head...I think I need a doctor. I feel a little dizzy."  
  
"Ok...sit tight sir, the paramedics are on their way."  
  
Faith hurries towards the van. On her way she stops to check on the driver of the Chevy.  
  
"Sir are you alright?"  
  
"Yah...I'm a little shook up, is all."  
  
"Was there anyone else in the car with you?"  
  
"No. I was alone. I...I couldn't stop...it happened so fast...right in front of me. There was nothing I could do."  
  
"That's ok...why don't you sit down right here. Help is on the way."  
  
She runs over and looks into the van. There are two children in the back. One is a baby in a car seat, crying loudly, and the other is a little boy about six years old, wearing a seat belt. He is unconscious, and the side of the van has caved in against him. In the front seat, the woman that was driving is unconscious. Her nose is bleeding, but the air bag had deployed, and Faith assumes that the bag is what caused her injuries. Next to her is another child, around eight years old, also wearing a seat belt, and she also appears to be pinned by the collapsed side of the van.  
  
Faith opens the back door and yells in, asking if everyone is ok. She gets no reply. She checks the baby in the car seat and she appears to be ok. Leaning over the baby, she takes the wrist of the little boy and feels for a pulse. She's relieved when she finds one.  
  
"Ma'am...are you ok? Can you hear me?" She calls to the woman as she unwraps the seatbelt from the car seat. She talks soothingly to the baby and tries to get her to stop crying, as she removes her from the car.  
  
The paramedics have arrived. "What do ya got Faith?" Kim calls as she hurries over.   
  
"I got the baby out. I think she's ok. The mom is unconscious and so are the other two kids. I think the kids are pinned inside." She hands the baby off to Kim. "I left her in the car seat...in case she was injured."  
  
"Smart thinken...that's better than a back board." Kim says.   
  
Doc is now leaning into the van. "Faith...call for another bus. We're gonna need help transporting. And light a fire under Doherty's ass...we're gonna need the jaws to get these kids out. What do ya got over there?" He nods his head towards the other vehicles.  
  
"I got the driver of that car sitting down. He seems to be ok. He was alone. Gusler is checking out the truck driver. I'll go see how he's doen."  
  
She makes the calls on her radio as she hurries over to see Gusler.   
  
"Let me see your license and registration while we're waiting." Stan tells the guy as he looks around the inside of the vehicle. "Did you drink all this beer today?"  
  
"Uh...no...they're not mine." He says handing his license over.  
  
"Even the ones inside on the floor?" he asks accusingly.  
  
The guy looks down and sees all the empty cans littering the floor of his truck. "Oh...that...that was...uh...I was returning my empties."  
  
"And where are you coming from, sir?"  
  
"What? I'm on my way home." The guy says, avoiding the question. "My registration is in my glove box." He leans over to the passenger's side.  
  
Faith walks up. "How is he?"  
  
Stan turns his back to the truck so the guy can't hear the conversation. "He's plowed."  
  
"Is he hurt?"  
  
"Are they ever? Witnesses say he ran the light and caused all this."  
  
"Ok...we'll have the paramedics look him over then we'll take him in." Suddenly there is the sound of twisting metal. Faith looks beyond Gusler and sees the guy opening the passenger door and climbing out of the other side of the truck. "Hey...stop!"  
  
The guy takes off running and they both take off after him. Gusler takes the lead as Faith calls in to central. "55-David in foot pursuit...east on Arthur. Requesting backup."  
  
The guy runs through a crowd standing around a street vender's hot dog stand. He pushes people aside, knocking down an old man with a walker. Gusler continues on, while Faith stops to see if the old man is ok. His head is bleeding from hitting the sidewalk.  
  
She kneels next to him, as she calls over her radio, "I need a bus two blocks east on Arthur."   
  
Another unit pulls up next to her as back up and the officers hurry over. "My partner's on foot pursuit." she tells them. "Stay with this man until help comes. I'm going after my partner." She cues her radio. "Gusler...where are you?"  
  
"We turned north down an alley. I got him...he's trapped." is the reply.  
  
When Faith catches up to Gusler, he has pulled the man off the fence he tried to climb over, and is beating him mercilessly. "Steve...stop. Steve! That's enough." She pulls him away, and he lunges back at the man again. "Steve...stop it. What's wrong with you. Stop!"  
  
She gets him away again, and jacks him up against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"That guy tried to run. He made me look stupid."  
  
She looks at him with a mix of shock and anger. Then the radio crackles to life. "55-David...we have a private message."  
  
She glares at Gusler, as she answers the call. "55-David...go ahead."   
  
"This message is a 10-3 for officer Yokas."  
  
"10-4 message received." She answers.  
  
"What's that all about? What's a 10-3?" Gusler asks.  
  
"I have to call in by phone."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it's private...to me. I'll call as soon as we take care of this guy."  
  
Gusler gets a bad feeling. He wonders what they have to tell her that he can't hear...or rather...what they may have found out.  
  
********** 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I still don't own Third Watch or any of the characters from the show.  
  
Author's Note: Man I was overwhelmed by your reviews. Thanks so much. Don't stop now...I love hearing what you think of the story.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Twelve~  
  
Bosco waits impatiently in his hospital bed for Sully and Davis to return. He remembered everything that happened to him. Driving to the abandoned building, the beating in handcuffs, and being dropped into the empty vat...and the fact that Steve Gusler orchestrated it all. He remembers Steve telling him that he killed Martin, and insinuating he had done this to others as well, and how he wasn't Steve, but someone named Stan, whose job it was to avenge Steve against the world.  
  
He paged Sully and Davis down in emergency and had them come back to his room where he explained everything. He knows that Faith is riding with Gusler and it is urgent that she be warned. Sully and Davis went to the nurse's station to call central, and notify them of the news. He waits for them to come back and tell him what is being done about it.  
  
Bosco can't wait any longer. He gingerly starts to climb out of the bed.  
  
"Where the hell do ya think you're going?" Sully barks as he walks back in.  
  
"Sul...did you notify central?" he asks anxiously.  
  
"Yes Bosco...we called them. They're notifying the detective from the 6 3 that's on your case. Relax."  
  
"But are they calling them back to the house? We gotta get Faith away from that..."  
  
"They're taking care of it. Get back into bed."  
  
"I have to get down there...give them a statement."  
  
"They'll come here and get it from you. You're sure that this stuff you remember is accurate? It was really Steve Gusler that did this to you?"  
  
"Yes Sully...it all came back to me. It was Gusler. Believe me. Central believes me...right?"  
  
Sully and Davis give each other a look. "Yah...they're acting on it."  
  
"What then...what was the look for?"  
  
"Nothing...it's just...so hard to believe." Sully shakes his head. "Gusler."  
  
"Well, he has been acting strange lately...more aggressive." Davis adds.  
  
"The guy has totally lost his mind. He thinks he's someone else for God's sake. He tried to kill me. He 'killed' Martin."   
  
*****  
  
[Back to 55-David]  
  
The accident victims have been transported to the hospital, along with the old man and the perp that Stan beat up. The backup unit accompanied the perp, because the guy was afraid of Gusler. The vehicles are being towed out of the intersection, and other than writing the accident report, 55-David is finished with this call.  
  
"Should I call us in 10-98?" Gusler asks Faith.  
  
"No...not yet. I gotta check on the 10-3." She walks over to a pay phone to call the precinct. Gusler follows her over, intending to listen in. "Hold on Steve. Give me a minute." she says, stopping him from getting too close. She doesn't know what this is all about, but for some reason, they want only her to hear it.  
  
He stops and looks around nervously. He turns his side to her, so it looks as though he isn't listening, but he is straining hard to catch her part of the conversation.  
  
"Central...this is officer Yokas. I'm calling in regards to the 10-3."  
  
"Officer, you're presently riding with officer Steven Gusler, is that correct?"  
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"Do you have a visual on that officer?"   
  
Faith glances over at him, and Steve sees it out of the corner of his eye. "Yes I do. What's this about?"  
  
"Can the officer hear this conversation?"  
  
"No...not really."  
  
"Be advised that officer Gusler is wanted for questioning in connection with the assault on officer Boscorelli, and is to be considered dangerous."  
  
"Are you serious?" She glances at him again, thinking about how viciously he attacked the perp only twenty minutes ago. "Oh my God."  
  
"You are being instructed to return to the precinct with him, and for your own safety, we advise that you not inform him of the nature of this call. The Lieutenant is leaving it up to your discretion as to whether or not you want to disarm him before you transport him in."  
  
"Disarm?" She looks at him again, and he looks away nervously.  
  
She turns her back to him and covers the receiver. Talking softer she says, "You gotta be kidding me. How can I do that...discreetly?"  
  
"Officer...do you want us to send backup?"  
  
"No." She glances at him again and he looks a little scared. "No...I'll do it. I'll bring him in myself."  
  
"Shall I advise the Lieutenant that you are on your way in?"  
  
"Yah...tell him I'm on my way." She says the last part loud enough for Gusler to hear, then hangs up. She pauses for a minute, to process the information, and decide how to handle the situation. She settles on leading him to believe it is a personal matter involving her.  
  
"Is everything ok?" he asks timidly.  
  
"Yah...I gotta report back to the house."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She walks towards the RMP without looking at him. "They need to talk to me about something."  
  
"What...are you in some sort of trouble?" He notices that she nonchalantly unsnapped her holster.  
  
"No...maybe...I don't know. I'd rather not talk about it till I know what's going on. Gimme the keys...I'm driven."  
  
He relinquishes the keys to her and climbs in the car. His chest is starting to feel tight, and every thought that enters his mind, feels heavier than the last.  
  
*****[The ride back]*****  
  
They head back in silence; each of them consumed by their own thoughts of what is happening...and what is about to happen.   
  
'Shall I mount up?' That was the first thing Gusler said to her, the first time they rode together. He was a wide-eyed, frightened and impressionable rookie. She had to explain everything to him. She even had to help him with his seatbelt.  
  
'A good rule of thumb...no tour that starts with a domestic, is ever a good one. I'll take the aggressor to another room...and always keep your gun pointed away from them. These things can go south, real fast.' The call took them to a bloody massacre. Steve was so scared. He was shaking when they entered the apartment; he fell in the blood on the scene, and shied away when they were given a close-up look at the bodies.   
  
The call led to the failed attempt at arresting Feodor Chevchenko, which instead lead to the biggest shootout that the 55 had ever been involved in. She remembers riding with Steve to the location. He was so terrified that he looked to be on the verge of tears.  
  
'Are you all right Gusler? Ya know...I don't even know your first name.' She remembers he looked so young and childlike. He was coming apart at the seams. 'You're gonna be ok. I'll be right there with you. Tell them we're moving up. You be careful now Steve.' She felt more like a mom taking her kid to his first day of school.   
  
The shootout scared him so badly that he actually wet himself. She found him crying behind the car. He was so terrorized by that day, that he told her that he might not return to the job. When did he become this...hardened, dangerous person?   
  
More importantly, why didn't she see it? She thinks about the past few days, how confidant...more arrogant, he was. How he stood up to the biker with the knife and actually antagonized him. She should have seen it back when he attacked Martin in the locker room, but she was so caught up in Martins craziness, that she never considered Steve's. She tries to picture him attacking Bosco, but it seems so absurd.  
  
Although she did feel something was wrong, because she felt uncomfortable at the way he was referring to her as "his" partner...like he knew Bosco wasn't coming back. But she never would have thought that he actually was trying to get Bosco out of the way. She tries to remember exactly what he said when she thanked him for helping in the search, and how he said it.  
  
'We're partners, right? That's what partners do. You'd do the same for me'   
  
"You would never betray me...would you?"  
  
Faith is ripped from her thoughts by Gusler's statement. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said, we're partners...you would never betray me... right?"  
  
"Why are you asken me that?" She looks over at him and he is staring at her. His eyes are dark and demanding.  
  
"Because I need to know if you really have my back. I saw you look at me when you were on the phone. You insisted on driving and then you unsnapped your holster...but you didn't 'disarm' me, like they wanted you too. So I need to know...do you have my back...or are you turning me in?"  
  
"Why do they want to see you Steve?"  
  
"What did they tell you?"  
  
"I'm asking you...you're my partner. What is it that you need me to back you on Steve?" She keeps her voice calm. But this is turning bad and she knows it...and she is still about twenty minutes out from the house.  
  
"I'm gonna come clean with you...I'm not Steve. He quit. He should have quit a long time ago."  
  
"What do you mean, you're not Steve?"  
  
He looks around the street they are driving on. "Where are we going?" He is hanging on to a thread of hope that she is going to stand by him. This is Faith...she never gave up on Bosco...even when helping him seemed hopeless.   
  
"Who are you if you're not Steve?" she persists.  
  
"We're not going back to the house. Take a right up here." he orders.  
  
"No. Tell me what's going on with you. Lets talk it out."   
  
"Ok...turn right at the next light...go to the park. We'll talk there."   
  
"No..." She keeps driving, trying to get closer to the precinct. "...give me something Steve. I have been given an order...and for me to disobey it...you have to give me a reason to listen to you. I don't know what's going on...you need to fill me in on the situation."  
  
"You don't trust me." It was a statement, not a question. His expression turns sad.  
  
"I don't even know who you are." she says softly.  
  
"Alright then..." He reaches for his gun.  
  
"No!...don't do that Steve." Faith reaches for her gun and stops the car. "Do not draw your weapon." She points her gun at him. "I mean it Steve...please. Don't do it."  
  
He looks startled and quickly puts his hands up in front of himself, and turns to face her. "Faith...I'm not drawing on you...I want to give you my weapon."  
  
Her adrenalin is flowing and she can feel her pulse pounding hard through her veins, making her hands quiver. "Place your right palm on the roof, and remove your gun with your left hand, using two fingers...slowly." There is a tone of panic in her voice.  
  
He looks at her, his eyes reflecting his despondency at her disloyalty. He slides his gun out with his thumb and forefinger, and holds it out to her. She takes it from him, checks the safety and places it in her coat.   
  
"It's Stan." he says, slowly lowering his hands into his lap.  
  
"What?"   
  
"My name is Stan." He looks at her sheepishly. "Steve is a nice guy but he was a terrible cop. I had to fill in." He is talking calmly. Faith listens, finding it hard to find the line between his reality and his insanity. "Everything I did...I had to do to save Steve. Do ya see? I was defending him, that's all. You can't take me in. I didn't do anything wrong. It was all justifiable."  
  
"Then you need to go in and explain that to them...they'll understand."  
  
"No! If they understood it would never have come to this. You don't know what they did to him...how they treated him." He is beginning to break down emotionally.   
  
Faith can see the Steve she used to know creeping back in. She lowers her gun, but doesn't holster it. "I'll go in with you. I'll be right there with you. It'll be ok."   
  
"No. The only way you can help me is to drop me off somewhere. You're my partner...I need you to cover for me. Tell them I got away."  
  
"I can't do that." She looks at him sadly. She is angry that they put her in this position. They should have just called them into the house and taken care of it when they arrived.  
  
"You'll be alright. We'll get a rep before you say anything to anybody."  
  
She holsters her gun and is about to start driving again.  
  
"Faith..." He calls to her softly.  
  
She looks over at him and he sprays her in the face with mace. He had taken a small spray can from his pocket while they were walking to the car, and placed it in his lap when he got in.   
  
She yells out in pain. Her eyes are burning, and she can't seem to close them hard enough to ease the sensation. She instinctively rubs at her eyes with one hand and tries to open the car door with the other to get away from Steve.   
  
He pulls her towards him, keeping her from getting out of the car. She pulls her gun but he grabs her wrist and twists it out of her hand. She tries to open her eyes, but that makes the pain worse, and they are tearing so hard that she can't see.   
  
The burn from the mace is so severe that she doesn't even care that he took her gun. Her main concern is to get relief. She rubs her eyes but it only increases the feeling. She feels him push her down on to the seat and holds her head down. He is hollering things at her, but she is too involved in trying to clear the burn from her eyes to hear what he is saying.  
  
Stan pulls his nightstick out and clubs her with it. Dazed and barely conscious, she stops struggling. He looks around to see if anyone is watching this assault, but this is New York, and everyone is too busy to notice anything going on around them...and if anyone did notice, they certainly didn't get involved. He clubs her again so she can't give him any trouble.  
  
He slides her into the passenger seat, cuffs her wrist to the grate between the front and back seat, and removes her radio. He removes her handcuff key, retrieves his gun, then he casually walks around to the driver's side and slides in. He puts his gun in its holster, adjusts the mirrors, gives her a glance and slowly drives away.  
  
******** 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Third Watch or it's characters.  
  
Author's note: Once again I'd like to thank my faithful reviewers. You guys inspire me to keep working at it.  
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Thirteen~  
  
Gusler drives around nervously, trying to find a place where he can dispose of Faith. He has no choice, she betrayed him. When that is done, he still needs a place to hide until it is safe for him to leave town. His apartment is the first place they will look, and of course they will be looking for his car. This is bad...he doesn't have a plan. He needs to slow down and think clearly, or he will start making mistakes and get himself caught.  
  
Faith moans from the passenger seat and begins to finally stir. Her head is pounding. She reaches her right hand up and feels a large welt on the back of her head. She struggles to remember what happened. She has become aware that her left wrist is handcuffed to something. She tries to open her eyes and the burn from the mace is still there. Her eyes start watering uncontrollably. She can feel the motion of the car...she is being driven somewhere but she can't seem to open her eyes enough to make out where she is.   
  
***[Back at the precinct]***  
  
Lieutenant Swersky waits, along with sergeant Cruz and the detective that is investigating the attack on Bosco. He impatiently keeps checking his watch. "Where the hell are they?"   
  
"Are you sure they were coming right in?" Cruz asks. "Maybe they went on another call. Or...maybe that bleeding heart Yokas gave him a heads up. He may be in the wind already."  
  
"Yokas wouldn't do that. She was ordered to come directly in with him. I'm gonna have dispatch call them on the radio. Something may have gone wrong."  
  
*****  
  
The radio suddenly calls out for 55-David to call in their location and ETA. Faith instinctively grabs for her radio and finds she is no longer wearing one. Her gun is also missing. Quickly she grabs for the car radio but Gusler sees her and grabs her hand away before she gets to it.   
  
"Don't...I'll hurt you again if I have to."  
  
She recognizes Gusler's voice and the memory of what happened, grabs her. "Steve...where are we going?" She looks over at him. Her eyes are red and sore, and when she tries to open them they start tearing again. "Please...you have to stop. You need to turn yourself in."  
  
"Shut up. I'm making the decisions now."  
  
She tries desperately to wipe the pain from her eyes so she can see where he is driving them. From the little bit of vision she has, she can see that they are on a street with little traffic, but nothing to tell her where exactly they are.  
  
The radio sends out another call for them to report in.  
  
"Steve...you have to answer them. They'll know something is wrong."  
  
"Something 'is' wrong!" he shouts at her. "My partner was planning to take me down. Or did you forget that."   
  
"No...they ordered me to come in. I had no choice." she pleads.  
  
"You had a choice. But like everyone has done to Steve, you chose to stab me in the back as well. But I'm not gonna stand by and take it like Steve does. I thought you were better than that. But you're just like everyone else."  
  
The radio puts a call out to all units to be on the lookout for 55-David in car number 5649. "Son of a bitch!" He pounds on the steering wheel. "This is all your fault. You couldn't just let me go!"  
  
"Gusler...there's no way out of this. You have to turn yourself in."  
  
"No. I won't do that! I've done nothing wrong." He turns and glares at her. His eyes are cold. "I have to ditch this car...and you."  
  
He turns down a service road between two buildings, and shuts the car off. He pulls out his gun and sits there, holding it with both hands as if he is struggling with this decision.   
  
Faith searches for her handcuff key, but Gusler had already removed it. She looks at him, sitting there just staring at his gun. Her eyes are focused on his gun as well. He is cradling it, and she can't tell what his next move is going to be. Her mind races, trying to think of an escape, but being cuffed to the car, her only chance is to try and talk to him.   
  
"Gusler...please...you're too good of a cop to do this."  
  
Then, in a quiet, emotionless voice, he starts talking. "You were the only one that ever gave Steve a chance. I thought you were different. You were patient with him...you tried to teach him...but then...you just abandoned him and chose to work with Boscorelli instead."  
  
"Bosco's been my partner for ten years. The Lieutenant asked me to work with Steve. It was only temporary."  
  
"Partners don't do that. Partners are not temporary." He looks at her, and his eyes are dark and threatening. "You don't ride with someone and then dump them. You were nice to him and he believed in you. All he wanted was a partner that would take care of him. Someone to watch his back."  
  
"I did that. I watched out for Steve."  
  
"You didn't do that for me!" His sudden burst of anger startles her. He is so mad he is shaking. "Steve was hopeless! I know that. I didn't blame you for not wanting to work with him...that's why I took over. I showed you that I am a good cop...that I'm not afraid of anything and that I am able to protect you. I even made that perp show you some respect. You didn't even appreciate it. You fucken yelled at me and pulled rank. And now that I need your help, you didn't even consider it. You were just going to drive me into an ambush."   
  
He swings the gun in her direction. Seeing the sudden movement, she screams and reaches for the gun. She grabs his wrist with her right hand just as the gun fires, and the bullet imbeds it's self into the glove box. As they struggle for the gun, a second round goes off hitting her in the leg. Gusler twists away from her grasp, and throws an elbow into her face.   
  
Faith falls back and slumps down in the seat struggling to remain conscious. She feels Gusler lean over her and she puts her hand against his chest in a feeble attempt to push him away. He puts the gun to her head. She feels the cold metal pressing against her temple and instinctively closes her eyes, waiting for the explosion to follow. However, there is nothing but the sound of her sobbing.   
  
She feels the barrel of the gun quivering, as though he doesn't have the strength, or maybe the will, to pull the trigger. She is crying and frantic, and in a panicked voice she pleads with him. "Please...don't. Oh God...you don't have to do this. Please Steve...stop."  
  
"You brought this on yourself." He tries to squeeze the trigger, but his hand is shaking too much. She is looking at him so desperately, and a wave of pity ripples through him. His hand is now shaking fiercely, and he can't bring himself to pull the trigger on her.   
  
Faith senses his hesitation, and she tries urgently to reach the old Steve. She softly says, "Steve...you're my partner...I need your help."  
  
He feels his control breaking down. A feeling of nausea rumbles into his stomach and his chest is getting tight. He is scared. He feels fear...Steve's fear. He doubles over, trying to will the feeling away. He can not let Steve come back. "No! Kill her!" he yells.  
  
"Please...I trusted you. We're supposed to ride together. Stan is gonna ruin everything." she says.   
  
He stares at her and his eyes start to look timid and scared, and full of confusion.  
  
"Steve help me...please. You're my partner."   
  
Suddenly a voice comes over the radio, excited and urgently calling in to central.  
  
"10-13...10-13...this is 55-Charlie, reporting gunshots...I repeat...we have shots fired in the vicinity of 104 and Arthur. Requesting back up at this location."  
  
"Shit!" He glares at her with a look of pure hatred.   
  
Stan sits up and punches the back of the seat. "Why is this happening. Why don't they leave me alone." He starts the car and drives quickly down to the end of the service road. He turns right, but nosing out of the next road is an RMP being driven by 55-Charlie . He slams on his breaks and does a U-turn, forcing a car to swerve onto the sidewalk to avoid rear-ending him.  
  
"There he is Sul." Davis turns on the siren, and quickly grabs for the dashboard to steady himself as Sully slams on the breaks to avoid the oncoming car that just missed Gusler.  
  
"Get the hell out of the way!" Sully barks at the car. "Where Davis...where are they?"  
  
"To the left...go left." Davis struggles to hold on, as Sully spins the car to the left. A taxi starts to pull away from the curb, right into their path. "Whoa...whoa...whoa! Does nobody see these lights flashing? Watch it Sul...to the right." They almost side swipe a van that also tries to pull out in front of them. "That's them ahead of us." Davis says pointing.  
  
"I see 'em. Where the hell does he think he's going? Get on the radio, Davis. Talk to him."  
  
"55-David...pull your vehicle over." He pauses. "Gusler...pull it over man. What are you doing." No response. "Gusler give it up before someone gets hurt."  
  
A delivery truck noses out from an alley causing Sully to swerve hard to the left. "Son-of-a-bitch!" he yells over the truck's blaring horn. He grabs the radio out of Ty's hand. "Gusler...pull your ass over now. You're gonna get us all killed."  
  
Gusler spots a small break in the oncoming traffic, and makes a fast left through it, hoping Sully will be blocked and unable to follow. However the car he turned in front of, slams on his breaks, giving Sully time to make the turn right behind him.   
  
Davis takes the radio back from Sully and calls in to all units that they have a visual on 55-David and are now following them east on Roland.   
  
Faith is being tossed around in the front seat, but finally gets a chance to grab at Gusler's arm in an attempt to make him lose control. They side swipe a few parked cars. He makes a fist and punches her leg where the bullet hit her. She yells out in pain clutching her leg, which is now bleeding badly. As they struggle, their RMP swerves dangerously all over the road.   
  
Sully follows, not sure of how to stop him without endangering Faith. "God damn it. Where is he going?"  
  
"We need to box him in, the way you did that truck carrying the illegal aliens that time. What do ya think Sul?"  
  
"It's not all that easy to do. Let me think." He looks around, trying to picture where they are heading, and where they can send him that he will run out of road. "Ok...get on the horn and tell them we need a unit to put a road block at the intersection of Roland and tenth, and tell all other units to watch for him to head north off of Roland."  
  
"Alright...but you realize Gusler will hear this too." he warns before he talks into the radio.   
  
"I'm counting on that. I want to force him to turn south. He'll end up driving towards the docks. He'll have nowhere to go from there." Sully then turns south at the next street. "I hope the units behind us stay with him."   
  
Davis looks back. "They did."  
  
"Good. Now let's hope he does what I want him to do. Then we can stay one street over and keep him heading south." Sully makes a left, heading east towards Gusler again.  
  
Another unit calls over the radio that 55-David turned south on Polar street. "Bingo!" Sully says excitedly. "Tell them to stay on him, and call for a road block on Paxton street, east of Polar."   
  
Davis does as he's instructed. "What if they can't get there in time?"  
  
"It doesn't matter. He knows they're going there...so he won't turn east. We stay to the west of him, and the units behind him, will keep him from turning around. Soon, he'll just run out of road."   
  
"There he is!" Davis says excitedly, pointing straight ahead. "Nice job."  
  
"I can't believe this is working." Sully says, making a quick right, one block short of the street Gusler is on. They are now driving parallel to him, seeing him cross over every side street they go by. "Can you see Faith? Is she alright?"  
  
"I can barely see her. She looks hurt."  
  
Gusler keeps driving, looking for a place to turn, but there are units coming from all directions. He realizes he is coming to the dock where the freighters are unloaded. There is no where he can go. They are closing in on him. He pulls into the parking lot and looks around frantically for an exit. Ahead, there is a gate for the trucks to pull through, where they can park on the dock to be loaded with the cargo from the ships. A guard at the gate puts his hand up to stop him, but Gusler doesn't even slow down.   
  
He busts through the closed gate, as the confused guard ducks out of his path. He is now racing down the large pier, swerving to avoid the dock workers and forklifts that are running back and forth loading the tractor trailers. Behind him are 55-Charlie and three other units, all following and waiting for him to run out of pier.  
  
The end is quickly approaching. "Gusler...stop!" Faith screams. She grabs his sleeve. "Steve it's over. Stop the car...you gotta stop. Please!" She tries to reach her leg over to his side and apply the breaks, but he jerks the wheel to the right, throwing her against the door. She is still screaming for him to stop, even though she now realizes that there is not enough pier left for him to stop in time. Then he guns it.  
  
Gusler rolls his window down. The front tires hit a wooden board that frames the end of the pier, making the car lurch up as it gets launched off the pier. They are in the air for five or six seconds, before the car nose dives into the water, slamming Gusler hard against his seat belt. Faith is thrust against the dashboard with such force, that her wrist breaks against the handcuff.  
  
The car bobs up to the surface, and then starts to sink as it quickly fills with the freezing water. Gusler quickly unbuckles his seat belt. Faith had lost consciousness momentarily, but the cold water revives her. She realizes the car is sinking. "Steve...help me." she moans. "Please. Give me the key." He gives her a quick glance as he pulls himself out through the window. "Please...don't leave me." Steve pushes off from the car and disappears.   
  
The water is rising quickly inside the car. Faith flinches at the pain from her broken wrist, as she tries to pull her hand free. The water has risen to her chest. She cries for help. The car rolls onto the drivers side as the water reaches the open window and fills it even quicker. The water is up to her neck now, and she frantically tries to keep her head above it as she is slid down to the drivers side. Her side of the car is only inches above the surface. She grabs the door handle and pulls her head up above the water, but she knows it is hopeless. The car is sinking and she is going down with it.   
  
She can see someone climbing onto the car from the water and she screams for them to hurry. The person outside is trying to open the door. She takes one last gasp of air, as the door is pulled open and the water floods in over her head. The car is now completely submerged. Her hand is desperately grabbing upwards, and she gets a hold of someone's shirt. They grab her arm and pull her towards the surface wrenching her broken wrist in the handcuff. The pain causes her to exhale her last bit of air and she inhales water.   
  
Davis, along with two other officers, had jumped into the water and swam to the sinking car. Davis got there first and is the one who got the door open, but when he tried to pull her out, he realized she is somehow stuck in the sinking vehicle.   
  
He climbs into the car in an attempt to free her, assuming that she is only wearing a seat belt. Then he sees her hand cuffed to the grate in the RMP. He struggles to keep himself calm.  
  
He has to try and get his key, but in the confinement of the flooded car, he can't get his hand into the pocket of his wet uniform. He sees that she is drowning, and he feels the panic beginning to overtake him. He suddenly needs air desperately. He is about to climb back out of the car to get a breath of air, when he unexpectedly feels the key in his fingers. He pulls the key from his pocket, then convinces himself to go slow and carefully. He needs to get it unlocked without delay...Faith is dying in front of him.   
  
For a moment her body convulses as it tries to push the water from her lungs, but she just keeps taking in more water. There is a thunderous pounding in her ears, increasing in speed as her heart races, then slows like an echo, until there is nothing but a dark muffled silence.  
  
He frees her from the cuff, but as he pushes her up to the pair of hands waiting to pull her out of the sinking car, he realizes that she is no longer grabbing at him and the panic is gone from her face. He gets a sinking feeling that he didn't free her in time.  
  
******** 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Third Watch or the characters from the show.  
  
Editor's Note: Thank you all for your reviews throughout this story, they mean a lot to me. I hope the ending lives up to your expectations. This is the last chapter, so this is your last chance to tell me what you think. Please review it if you read it.   
  
"Understanding Steven"  
  
~Chapter Fourteen~  
  
Ty finally gets the handcuff unlocked from around Faith's wrist and pushes her up through the door of the submerged car to the waiting hands of the other officers that have reached them. They get her out of the car and soon she is pulled out of the water and onto the dock. Sully performs mouth to mouth resuscitation, and after several tries, she finally starts coughing. He turns her onto her side, and she relieves her lungs of the water. The paramedics arrive and take over.   
  
Sully throws a blanket around Ty's shoulders. "Nice job. You took so long to come up...I thought I'd lost you...both of you." He says, showing a fatherly concern. "You did real good...I'm proud of you."  
  
"Is she gonna be alright?" He glances at Faith being carted to the back of the ambulance.  
  
"Doc says she is. That was close though. You were both under water for so long."  
  
"Gusler had her cuffed to the grate between the seats. The car went down so fast, man...I didn't think..." He nods his head down and shakes it. "What happened to him anyway? He wasn't in the car."  
  
"Gusler? I don't know." Sully glances around the pier. "I was too concerned for you and Faith...I didn't notice him."  
  
*****  
  
Just after the car hit the water, Gusler made a break out of the car window, which he purposely opened just before he drove the car off the pier. During the rescue, Gusler swam under water as far as he could, and resurfaced far enough away from the scene, that he went unnoticed. He found a place to come ashore, and quietly slipped away. They combed the area all night, but they never found him.  
  
*****[Nine months later]*****  
  
Faith underwent surgery to repair the damage to her wrist, and then another several months of physical therapy after the break healed. Bosco also had to go for months of physical therapy for his broken leg and his shoulder. They both have returned to work, and are once again riding on patrol in 55-David. They have been back to work for almost two weeks, and it finally feels that things have returned to normal.  
  
They went through a period of anxiety, that only they understood, because it was something they shared. The unexpected betrayal of one of their own...a person they had trusted, by who's hand they were almost killed. A person who has a personal vendetta against them, and since he has not been apprehended, he could still be lurking out there.  
  
For the first few days on the street, they saw Gusler everywhere. Faith thought she saw him coming out of a diner, and another time, she thought she saw him sitting in a car waiting at a light. Bosco chased a man that was in the crowd of onlookers at the scene of an accident, thinking it was Steve. They confided in each other about their fears. They consoled each other, and then convinced each other that if Steve actually survived the plunge into the river, he would be long gone from here by now. He most likely would have left the State, if not the country.  
  
They are still very cautious, looking over their shoulders on and off the job, but the paranoia is starting to subside. They actually joke about it now...calling Steve the bad seed. And if nothing else...the whole experience has made them closer.  
  
It is Friday night, and their shift is over with very little excitement and no last minute calls to make them late. They hurry into the locker room to change, both of them anxious to get out and start their weekend.   
  
Bosco opens his locker and starts removing his gun belt. "So...you and Fred have any plans for the weekend?"  
  
"Yah. We're going to see my parents on Saturday. It's my dad's birthday." She hangs up her gun belt and unbuttons her shirt. "What about you...any plans?"  
  
"Atlantic City...baby. I'm feelen lucky. I'm gonna stay Saturday night and come back Sunday evening...unless I run out of money sooner."  
  
"Hey...play a number for me on the roulette table." She hangs up her vest and shirt, pulls a sweater over her head, then pulls her purse out of the locker. "I'm gonna give you twenty bucks...put it on the number eight."  
  
"Hey...gambling is illegal lady." Sully jokes as he walks into the locker room with Ty following close behind.   
  
"Not in Atlantic City." She says with a smile.  
  
"You going to Atlantic City, Faith?" Ty asks.  
  
"No...not me...Bosco. He's gonna play a number for me." She hands him the money and goes into the bathroom stall to change into her jeans.   
  
"Hey man play a number for me too. How about you Sul...give him a number to play."  
  
"No...I'll pass." Sully growls.  
  
"Oh c'mon. Unclench that fist and hand over a twenty. Where's your sense of adventure."  
  
"If I was feeling adventurous...and I'm not...I would go to Atlantic City myself."  
  
Ty Hangs up his gear and uniform, then pulls on a sweatshirt. He slides on a pair of jeans and reaches for his wallet in the back pocket. "Ok...here." He hands Bosco sixty bucks. "Play forty seven, thirty nine, and sixteen. Then put a few bucks on black. And if I lose that, put a few bucks on even. Then if I hit...play twenty seven...but if I get down to a few bucks...just throw it in the slots."  
  
"In other words...you want me to keep throwing it in until I lose it all." Bosco scoffs. "You better write all of that down."  
  
"Write down eight...for me." Faith calls out from the stall.  
  
"That one I'll remember." Bosco mumbles as he stuffs his uniform into a duffel bag.  
  
"Oh hell...here...take a twenty." Sully says as though he was forced into giving up the money. "Play fifty five for me on the wheel."   
  
"Fifty five? Good idea...play your age." Ty says with a grin, pointing playfully at Sully.  
  
"Smart ass." Sully shoots back.   
  
Faith comes out of the stall and steps to the mirror, brushing her hair. "What are you guys doing over the weekend?" she asks Ty and Sully.  
  
"I got a date tomorrow. With a stewardess." He makes an O shape with his lips and exhales hard, squeezing his face into an intense expression. "She's hot too." he adds.   
  
"Yah? She have a friend? One that wants to see Atlantic City maybe?" Bosco asks.  
  
"No." Ty answers.  
  
"Not one friend..." Bosco says in disbelief.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"No wonder she's dating you." he says snidely.  
  
"She's from 'Cal-ee-forn-yaaa'." He says, emphasizing each syllable. "She has a layover for the weekend. She's never been here over night before...and she don't know anyone in town, so I'm giving her the grand tour of New York."  
  
"The path from the airport to your apartment, is not a grand tour...in case you weren't sure." Sully teases. "So what are you gonna show her first...the inaccessible Statue of Liberty? Or the day glow of smog from the top of the Empire State Building?"   
  
Bosco chuckles. "Yah...and don't forget to show her the midnight muggings in Central Park by moonlight. That always screams romance."  
  
"Ignore them Ty, they're jealous." Faith says laughing. "You have a good time." She is looking at him in the mirror, and as she glances away, she catches a glimpse of a figure stepping around the lockers behind Ty. She gasps as she glances back quickly in the mirror and says, "Oh God!"  
  
"What?" Ty asks.  
  
Sully looks over and Bosco glances up at her as he sits tying his shoes on the end of the bench.  
  
She spins around quickly, hoping that her eyes are playing tricks on her. "Steve?" She says, in a nervous whisper.  
  
They all turn and look behind them to see what has startled her. Standing there in full uniform and brandishing his gun, is Steve Gusler. Bosco cautiously stands up and turns to face him, poised at the end of the row of lockers.  
  
"Hey...how ya doen man?" Ty says...trying to act like nothing happened and that he is glad to see him. He hopes to keep the situation from becoming dangerous, and he knows that all four of them, are no longer wearing their weapons or their vests.  
  
Gusler is glaring at Faith. "So you're back to work...back with him." he accuses, as he nods towards Bosco. His voice is husky and threatening. "You can imagine how surprised I was when I read that you didn't drown."  
  
"Where ya been man? We were...uh...worried about you. Right guys?" Ty says, trying to avert Gusler's attention from the mission he obviously came here to carry out.   
  
"Yah...we thought you drowned." Sully adds, following Ty's lead. "You...ah...ya look good." He smiles, trying to feel out Guslers state of mind, but Gusler doesn't acknowledge him at all. He is staring intently...hatefully...at Faith.   
  
Sully's eyes dart quickly to his locker...which is now closed, making it impossible to reach his gun before Gusler could shoot him. Bosco does the same thing. His gun is about five feet away, hanging locked inside the cage, and without thinking...he stood up to face Steve, realizing now, that he has a gun strapped to his ankle, that he also can no longer reach in time.  
  
"So...what do ya want...ya wanna partner up again?" Faith asks trying to sound calm.  
  
Gusler's expression doesn't change as he hisses at her. "Do you think I'm that crazy...or just that stupid? You betrayed me. I want you dead!" As he yells this, he raises his gun at her and fires.  
  
Faith raises her arms in front of herself, and ducks to her left in an attempt to take cover in the wooden bathroom stall. But the bullet goes through her right arm, and enters her side. The force of the shot knocks her backwards to the floor.  
  
Bosco dives to his right, hitting the floor and skidding behind the row of lockers. He grabs for his spare gun as he slides. Ty dives the other way, ducking behind the row of lockers on the left and out of the line of fire.   
  
Sully makes the split second decision to go for his gun. He feels as if he is moving in slow motion as he steps to the locker, throws it open, and reaches in. At the same time his mind is calculating that he can not possibly open his locker and retrieve his gun before Gusler can turn in his direction and fire. He knows he made a bad decision, but there is no turning back now.   
  
The locker opens and he reaches inside in one swift, smooth motion. To his surprise, he makes an accurate stab for the gun. He feels the grip slide comfortably in his hand, and for a moment, he thinks he can beat Gusler to the draw. Then the gun snags in the holster, and it doesn't pull out. He unconsciously yells "No!" as he hears Gusler's gun fire.   
  
He is struck in the side, and as he falls to the floor in front of his locker, an odd thought enters his mind... 'You do hear the one that got ya.'  
  
The door to the locker room opens as the rest if the precinct comes running to find out what is happening, but Gusler keeps them at bay by firing at the door. The officers that were coming in to help, back out and slam the door closed again.  
  
Bosco is laying on his back on the floor, with his gun now in his hand, pointed at the space between the lockers, thinking that Steve will be walking through there any minute. He is breathing in quick pants through his mouth, and his energy is heightened as he tries to steady his aim between the lockers.   
  
Davis looks wide eyed over at Faith. She is moaning and trying to crawl towards the stall. He glances at Bosco. They make eye contact, and without speaking, he mouths the question to him, "Where is he?"  
  
Bosco shakes his head in response. He places one hand on the floor and raises himself up. His plan is to run across the opening, and spray the spot with bullets where he last saw Gusler standing, but out of the corner of his eye he sees movement.   
  
Bosco turns quickly to his right, and realizes Gusler did not do what he was expecting, which was to walk right up the isle between the lockers. Instead, he moved to his left to come up the next row of lockers, and he now has Bosco in his sites. Bosco turns and fires but Gusler fires first, striking Bosco just below the right shoulder. Bosco's shot strikes the wall above Guslers head. He falls onto his back and drops his gun as he hits the floor. A yell, growls out of him as he grabs at the pain in his shoulder.   
  
Davis realizes that Gusler is approaching up the next isle, so he ducks back around to his locker. He gets it open and reaches inside, feeling the familiar handle of his gun slide into his palm. He unsnaps the holster guard with his thumb in a smooth motion, and as he slides the gun out, he hears another gunshot, in the same instant he feels the hot bullet enter his back and thrust him face first against the cage. As he falls, he drops his gun and he hears it tumbling inside the metal locker. He reaches for it instinctively, but then his strength and his breath leave him.   
  
Gusler walks up to Bosco. He picks up Bosco's gun and leans over him. "I'll deal with you in a minute." he says calmly. "No hurry."   
  
Faith has crawled to the stall, though it provides little cover. Stan storms up to her and drags her out from the stall by her leg. Standing over her he tells her in a strangely deep and throaty voice that sounds nothing like Steve, "You deserve to die you bitch. Everyone respected me...everyone except you. I did everything I could to rid myself of that little whiney bastard Steve...and you chose him over me. I can't live with that. Do you understand why I have to kill you?" He points his gun at her face. "For understanding Steven."  
  
Faith has no strength left to try and defend herself from him. Through the blur of tears and the numbing pain, she gives up and closes her eyes. She flinches at the sound of the gunshot.  
  
The rooms floods with officers. There is a scramble as they tend to the fallen officers, calling for the paramedics, and yelling instructions to each other. Three undercover officers descend on Gusler, making sure he is no longer a threat. The Lieutenant surveys the situation, calling out to his men, asking for the condition of the wounded officers.  
  
"Sully's alive...he took one to the stomach."  
  
"Davis is hurt bad. He was hit in the back. He's alive but we need to get him help fast. Don't move him till the paramedics get here."  
  
"Boscorelli...stay down. You've lost a lot of blood. Just relax...they're on their way."  
  
"Yokas...Yokas, can ya hear me. Try and stay with me. You're gonna be alright. Just hold on...help is coming."  
  
The Lieutenant walks over to Gusler. "Is he dead?" he asks the officers around him.  
  
"Yah...it was a clean shot to the head."   
  
Lieu turns to Cruz, "Nice shot Maritza. I'm putting you in for a commendation. You just saved the lives of four officers."  
  
*****The End*****  
  
I know...I know...how could I let Cruz be the hero...but I felt she owed it to Faith to save her life for a change. 


End file.
